Miroku's Worst Fear
by Mina Maxwell
Summary: AUTHOR GETS OFF REAR AND UPDATES! After releasing a town from a matrimonial curse Sango and Miroku must come to terms with their new status. Enter Kagome--Wedding Planner
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inu-Yasha. I could not begin to afford owning the rights to this story or any of its characters. But seeing as how I have yet to be sued, I will continue to write stories involving them.

Author's Note: This is a sequel to my fic _Sango's Ordeal_. If you have not read _Sango's Ordeal_ you may wish to do so before getting to some of the later chapters. For the most part _Miroku's Worst Fear_ is a story on its own and is not crutched by the plot in _Sango's Ordeal_. One could easily read this fiction without becoming too confused, however, some references to events in _Sango's Ordeal_ will be made in later chapters. 

**Miroku's Worst Fear**

_A foolish man looks for happiness in the distance._

_A wise man grows it under his feet._

--John Oppenheim

Prologue 

            The _sakura_ blossoms drifted from their branches caught up in the gentle late-spring breeze. They fluttered in the soft rays of midmorning light to their destined landing on the ripples of recently disturbed waters below. This secluded hide-away in the bustling town lay occupied with one who slept despite the lateness of the morn. 

            Her dark tussles cascading out around her she felt safe and warm for the first time in over a year. So safe and warm that she had no desire of stirring to greet the day. That is until her warmth began to ebb away. Slowly her senses began to waken to the world around her. 

            First Sango noted the sweet smell of roses and orange blossoms surrounding her head. Mixed with them she detected the scent of incense as the sticks burned to their bases. But what was this third scent that wafted through the air? Before she could give that much thought, she felt soft fur rub against her bare foot once then twice then she felt a nip at her toes. "Mmm, Kirara, not now," Sango mumbled in her daze. Kirara? Nipping at her toes? That didn't sound right. 

Sango opened her eyes and finally took in her surroundings. She lay upon soft _tatami_ draped in silk, flowers and incense crowded the head of the _futon_—which was about a foot to her right, and a little gray tomcat was nuzzling her toes. There wasn't much else in the tiny room. A cabinet sat in the far corner where the _futon_ would lay during day hours. On the side closest to her, a lovely three-panel _noren_ of two cranes resided over the _fusuma_ that lead to the hallway. And across the room was an open _shoji_ that should lead to an interior courtyard.  

Slowly, as she sat up and the sheet of pure red silk slid from her form, warm air tingled across her bare skin. She welcomed the sensation and noticed that heat radiated from the floorboards as well. '_Wasn't I cold a minute ago? How could I be cold in a room like this?' _As she moved to stand, she felt an unusual ache as her muscles seemed to tense. It was then that she remembered the third scent. The slight scent of sulfur, which came from the open doorway. A hot spring! That would be just the remedy for her aches and pains. 

Standing Sango let the red silk fall to the floor as she crept to the shoji to peer outside. Instead of a beautiful garden—that would normally reside in the center of a house—what she found was a secluded little _onsen_ with plenty of rocks to lean against and relax upon. Sango looked to her left and to her right but saw no one. Knowing better, "Houshi-sama?" she called out into the open air. No reply came back to her. Just feet from the doorway a pink towel was draped over a wooden bar. Sango ventured out far enough to take the towel and wrap it around her body before stepping off of the wooden verandaand on to the large, flat rock that would allow her to enter the _onsen_. Slowly slipping into the water she looked around again, from where she stood—knee-deep in hot, steamy liquid—she was surrounded by rocks that obscured her view of the rest of the spring. As well as obscuring the rest of the spring's view of her—not that she thought there were many people in it at this time of day. 

Sango walked around the little pool and settled next to a warm rock; draping her dry towel on the rock she slid down beneath the comfortable waters. Sango let out a sigh of relief as the heat from the spring began to work away the knots in her muscles. Trusting her instincts she called out once more, "Houshi-sama?"

From the other side of the rock came a soft reply, "Hai, Sango?"

Miroku sat soaking in the water just out of view of the open _shoji_ staring at a piece of paper that rested in his hand. The calligraphy that scrolled across it usually brought a smile to the face of its viewer. The bold strokes of black ink that stood out calling attention to passersby, the fluid strokes that resembled a beautiful dance, and the words that brought happiness and warm feelings their hearts—these two little _kanji_ symbols, however, struck fear into Miroku's heart. Upon hearing Sango call him from so near by, he grimaced a little at the paper and began crumpling it in his fist.

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Author's Dictionary: 

Sakura: Cherry tree/blossoms.

Tatami: Straw mats that line the floor of a room; a measurement system (A common room is four and a half tatami in size.)

Futon: a soft cushion used as a bed, placed directly on the floor.

Noren: a two or three paneled cloth hanging. Covers doors or windows in decoration and separation.

Fusuma: a door made out of wood and paper that leads to an inner hallway or another room of the same house. No shoe change is necessary when passing through a fusama.

Shoji: a door made out of wood and paper that separates the inside of the house from the outside. Shoes are usually changed when passing through a shoji.

Onsen: a hot spring. In the past it referred to any hot spring, today only few springs are considered onsen due to their high mineral components. 

Kanji: the characters present in the Japanese language that were inherited from the Chinese language.

Houshi: (for those who don't know) a low ranking Buddhist monk.

Author's notes: I'm trying to cut down on my use of Japanese vocabulary, but alas, that will not happen in this story. So I have italicized all the foreign words and placed definitions in the dictionary at the end. Some of these you will know because of their use in our culture, other animes, and this anime, but I will translate them all.

In this chapter they are mostly objects that one would find in their home. 

Other italicized sentences and phrases are thoughts…most of them should be in some form of quotes. If they're not then they were not meant to be.

This story begins in medias res, therefore so as not to spoil the plot I will explain symbolism and historical references found in this prologue (if there are any ^_^) when I get to this point in the rest of the story.  

Please leave me a review so that I know how lost, confused, and befuddled you are. Or better yet, how well you can read my mind and know exactly where this story is going. Or at least where _you think_ it's going. 


	2. The Village

Disclaimer: I do not own Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippou or Kirara. Rumiko Takahashi created them all and has first and foremost rights to their usage. Though, as long as she doesn't mind I will continue to write stories using them. The village and all it's inhabitants are mine and I can't see why you'd want to use them. 

Author's Note: The bulk of this chapter will introduce you to the village of the fic. 

**Miroku's Worst Fear** Chapter One: The Village 

"Rika-chan! Rika-chan!" a girl with bobbed black hair screamed through the streets of the village. 

A solemn looking young woman, wearing red and white with her long brown hair pulled back, rose from the herbs she was examining. 

"Eh… _Sumimasen_ Rika-sama," the short haired girl stopped just before the young _miko_. "I just wanted to inform you that Haruko has returned home."

"Oh," Rika said with little emotion in her voice, "and why should that be something that I would care about?"

"Because he's Haruko. The boy who you've been pining after ever since he left to go work in the _daimyo_'s castle."

Rika smirked slightly, "Ah but Sachi-chan you forget; I have given up all hopes of finding a suitor and given myself fully to the services of the town."

Sachi eyed her friend suspiciously before turning to leave. "I just thought I'd pass the news along," she said nonchalantly over her shoulder as she walked away. '_The old woman must be around_,' she thought.

Rika stood staring off in the distance watching her friend disappear into the crowd of villagers that begin to gather at a home down the road. '_I wonder if 'Ruko-kun will be staying the night…'_

**~**

            "I can't believe I forgot!"

            "Forgot?" Inu-yasha asked as he chased after Kagome racing off on her bike.

            "Kagome's test is next week right?" Miroku asked the _chibi-kitsune_ on his shoulder. 

            "Mm," Shippou nodded. 

            "Well she's still heading towards Kaede's village. Maybe she left an important book at home or something," Sango offered walking along side the _houshi_. 

            Kirara mewed in agreement.

            They had been traveling with Kagome for so long that they almost understood what tests were and why she took them. The one thing they knew for certain was that test taking involved a lot of reading—which always made her pack heavier—and always a day or two spent in Kaede's village awaiting her return.  It was almost as if with out Kagome—and sometimes Inu-yasha—the journey could not continue.

            "Kagome, what is it? What did you forget?" Inu-yasha said as he jogged along beside her.

            "Tomorrow is Souta's birthday and I didn't even get him a present!" she said pedaling faster.

            Since she had her attention turned away from the road, she didn't see the jagged rock in time to swerve. Colliding with the rock Kagome's front tire blew, the bike made a horrible jolting movement, and Kagome went flying over her handlebars.

            Catching her before she hit the ground Inu-yasha replied, "feh."

            Miroku, Sango, and the others rushed up to meet them upon seeing Kagome take to the air. "Kagome! Are you all right?"

            "_Hai_," she said as Inu-yasha set her down. "_Mou_…" she groaned noticing her flat, "Now how am I ever going to get back in time to go shopping before the stores close tonight?"

"Kagome-sama, might I suggest bringing something back from this time as a gift," Miroku suggested.

            "Like…" Kagome sighed, lifting her wheel from the ground. 

            "Like this beautiful flower, or this fallen branch, or…" Miroku stopped when Kagome raised her hand.

            "Miroku-sama, this is Souta's birthday not Jii-chan's. I can't just give him a four-hundred year old plant."

            "Well then I'm sure we have something we can spare. How about one of Sango's _youkai_ weapons, or one of Shippou's little magical toys, or Inu-yasha's rosary…"

            "Or Houshi-sama's ponytail," Sango commented dryly—instead of smacking him.

            "Hey…" Miroku turned to glare at her. Sango placing a hand to her _wakizashi_ returned the glare. 

            "Oi!" Inu-yasha said getting their attention before those two went at it—again. They had been bickering a lot lately—a lot more than usual. 

            "Though I'm sure Inu-yasha would love to get rid of this rosary, I really must get back earlier than I had planned." Kagome said to them all. Turning towards Inu-yasha, batting her eyes, and clasping her hands together before her, she asked overly politely, "Could you take me back?"

            "Feh," Inu-yasha replied.

            With Kagome and her pack on his back, Inu-yasha set of into the trees. 

            "Well I suppose we could follow on Kirara," Sango said stroking her companion's neck.

            "Mew," Kirara said hopping down to transform.

            "No wait," Shippou stopped her. "Kagome's going home, and Inu-yasha will probably go with her. We were heading back to the village anyway, if we rush there now we're just going to have to wait at least three days for them to return. I say we take our time and just walk. Who knows we may find something on the way."

            Looking between one another Miroku and Sango shrugged. Shippou was right either way they were going to have time to spare. "Who's going to carry Kagome's bicycle?" Miroku asked.

**~**

            "Haruko-san, it's so good to see you home again. I trust that your journey was pleasant," Rika said greeting the young man in front of his house.

            "Rika-chan, I never expected to see _you_ become a _miko_," Haruko commented tugging on her sleeve.

            "She's not a full _miko_ yet," an old woman said from just behind her.

            "Miko-sama," Haruko bowed in greeting. "It pleases me that you would honor my homecoming with your presence."

            "Mm, mm," the old _miko_ said before passing into the house.

            As soon as she was out of sight Rika relaxed her stance and rolled her eyes, "It pleases me that you would honor my homecoming with your presence," she said in a mocking voice. "I don't see why having that _baa-baa_ around is an honor."

            Haruko smiled, "Now there's the Rika-chan I remember."

            "Yeah well don't get to attached, I'll be the _new_ _miko_ of this village before she allows herself to pass on."

            "Aren't you a little old for _miko_ training?" Haruko asked. "I mean you're what seventeen, eighteen?"

            "Aren't you a little old to be a _daimyo's_ concubine?" Rika retorted, "I mean you're what nineteen, twenty?"

            "Maybe it isn't your age I should be questioning, Rika-_chan_." Haruko nearly spat at her.

            "Oh?" she hummed, "And just what would you like to question, Ruko-kun?" she asked while stroking the backside of her fingers over his chest and abs crossing to the doorway of the house and opening it. 

            "I'm not now, nor will I ever be a concubine," he corrected under his breath before turning to enter. _'Honestly, every time I come home she has to make things difficult for me. What if my mother had heard her say that?'_ he thought glaring at her as he walked past.

            "Prove it," came the whispered response from behind him before Rika slid the door shut and turned to head back to her shrine. 

            "That girl is simply incorrigible why do you insist on training her?" a middle aged woman said to the elderly _miko_.

            "Mm…" the _miko_ paused as if in thought, "I am not as young as I used to be. I cannot wait for the children to be of age." 

            "Miko-sama? _Okaa-san_?" Haruko said coming upon the women, "Why is Rika training to be a _miko_? Why not one of the younger girls who expressed interest in the position? She can't possibly be a better candidate."

            "Mm, mm…" the old _miko_ nodded "have you not informed your boy of this village's troubles?" 

            The woman looked as if she'd just committed a serious crime, "I was trying to protect him," she said bowing deeply.

            "Protect me from what, _kaa-san_?"

            "Ruko, it's getting late. You'd best be leaving before it gets too dark to travel by. We'll talk about this the next time you come home."

            "_Kaa-san_?" Haruko paused, "But…I wasn't planning on leaving."

            "You _must_ go before the sun sets," his mother said sternly.

            "A foreboding darkness shall settle upon this village by the rise of the next moon," the _miko_ said in a hoarse whisper before heading back to her shrine.  

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            Author's Dictionary:

            Sumimasen:  Excuse Me

            Miko: A priestess. Kikyo and Kaede are mikos. Kagome has inherited miko powers. Not all miko's possessed great magical powers though. 

            Daimyo: A feudal lord. The ruler of some land. 

            Chibi-Kitsune: Chibi equals Small or Little and Kitsune is fox. So a little fox.

            Hai: Yes

            Mou: A noise to show anger, being peeved, or just being upset. 

            Youkai: A demon. Though not the way we westerners would think of demons. Youkai range from bug form, to animal form, to human form. Inu-yasha, Shippou, and Kirara are all various kinds of youkai (even though Inu-yasha is only half youkai.) The giant snake like creatures that often attack are a lower level of youkai. Some youkai have great powers, others simply have great strength, and most can heal faster and outlive humans by centuries.

            Wakizashu: a Japanese style sword shorter than a katana. Both are single edged swords…Tetsusaiga is a katana, Sango carries a wakizashu. 

            Baa-baa: Old hag if you're being disrespectful.

            Okaa-san: A respectful term for mother. The O is honorific… so when Haruko says kaa-san he's still talking to his mom he just isn't exonerating her. 

            Jii-chan: Grandpa. Or at least what Kagome calls her grandpa.

            The Name Game:

            Many of you will know this, but for those who do not. Here's a list of suffixes and their usages.

            -sama is the highest honor to call someone by. It's usually reserved for kings and queens and certain messengers of the gods or anyone you really, really want to suck up to. Sango calls Miroku Houshi-sama because it is the politest way to address a houshi. Miroku calls Kaede either Kaede-sama or Miko-sama for the same reason.

            -dono does not appear in this fic, and is not often seen in Inuyasha. It is a polite form to call people, but not as honorific as –sama. In Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin calls all the women and people he respects –dono because it's polite. It's a little archaic so people don't commonly use it in this day and age.

            -san is the usual ending. In the English language it roughly translates to Mr. or Mrs. In Japanese it is used to address adults who one is not romantically involved with. (If you go to Japan and call everyone –san. You will be just fine.) When Mr. Miyagi called Daniel, Daniel-san he was showing that he was treating him as an equal or another adult anyway.

            -kun is an ending typically used to address school aged boys (by teachers and friends). On rare occasions it is used by teachers in reference to any of their students. (If you watch Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon you can hear some of Makoto's teachers call her Kino-kun.) It's not the way one would address complete strangers or people they didn't consider their friends so this is why it's a big deal when Kagome calls Kouga, Kouga-kun. 

            -chan is used in three ways. 1. it is used to address younger children. When someone calls Shippou, Shippou-chan it's because he's a kid. 2. It is used between girls to address their friends. Sango and Kagome call each other Kagome-chan and Sango-chan because they are friends who are approximately the same age and not because they see each other as children. And 3. it is used between boyfriends and girlfriends when making up cutesy names for each other. Best example: Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon and Usagi calling Mamoru, Mamo-chan.

            -ko is a suffix that means child or girl in names. Some boyfriends will call their girlfriends by a nickname ending in –ko to be cute. Again…BSSM: Mamoru calls Usagi, Usako. 

             An important note, in Japan (nowadays) when two adults call each other by a name that is not followed by a suffix it is usually assumed that they are in a relationship. This is a big part of why just about everyone Kagome meets will be addressed with a suffix. I'm not sure if this was true of the Sengoku Jidai and if that's why you don't really hear the suffixes used a whole lot between people of the time or if they're just being crude and uncivilized. 

            And lastly, do not refer to yourself with a suffix. It's beyond unnecessary and sometimes considered very rude (especially if you use a higher term than is appropriate).

            Author's Notes: 

            Well this concludes chapter one. I needed some reason for Kagome and Inu-yasha to leave the picture for a few days and I didn't want to just have her going home to take a test. They will be back eventually… but the majority of this story is for the other four.   

            My dictionary is not up for questioning… even if I have something wrong (which I shouldn't). It's the author's dictionary to go with the author's fic… though… this particular dictionary should be fairly Japanese filled. 

            Well I put the little naming guide in this chapter because the other chapters should have a bit more of a history lesson to them. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. Please tell me what you thought. And don't forget, If you haven't done so yet read Sango's Ordeal before next Saturday when I post the next chapter because it will reference back to that story. Once again don't forget to review. 

  ~Mina~

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Coming up in Chapter Two: The Darkness

"There's a horrible curse on our village. It's been slowly sucking the happiness out of our lives. Please you have to say that you can help us!"

            Shippou smiled from Miroku's shoulder, "A curse you say? Well that just happens to be our specialty! Of course we can help."

            "It is?"

            "You can!"


	3. The Darkness

Disclaimer: I own not Inu-Yasha, Rumiko Takahashi does, nor do I own feudal age Japan…but then again who really did? 

**Miroku's Worst Fear** Chapter Two: The Darkness 

            "It's awfully dark out tonight," Shippou commented settling in by a rock near the fire. 

            "That it is," Sango said as she absent-mindedly attended to their meal. Keeping watch on the wooded area around them she waited for the others to return. Kirara came bounding back in carrying another fish in her mouth. Being close to a stream made finding food easy. But what really irked Sango was that Miroku and Kirara had left at the same time, and Kirara had returned thrice now without so much as a twig snap coming from the direction the _houshi_ headed. '_Just what is he doing out there?'_

            Descaling a fourth _sakana_ with her blade, Sango clenched her fist around the hilt in concentration. 

            "Ano…Sango? Are you going to leave any of that fish left to cook?" Shippou asked from the safety of the other side of the campfire. 

            "Eh?" Sango looked down to see that she'd been concentrating on not taking her hand off so much that she hadn't notice that she'd nearly stripped the fish down to it's bones. "This one can be Houshi-sama's," she said turning the fish over.

            "What can be mine?" a voice asked from right beside her. 

            Having not heard him approach Sango jumped and instinctively threw her elbow into the flesh closest to her. 

            "_Itai_…" Miroku said grabbing his knee.

            "Gee, Miroku what took you so long? For a while there we began to think that you'd found a pretty girl in the woods," Shippou smirked watching Miroku set down a bucket of water beside Sango.

            "Oh? Have I been gone that long?" he said taking a seat by the fire, still rubbing his knee.

            "Long enough," Sango said dryly under her breath.

            "I've gotten too used to having Kagome's metal torches around that I've forgotten how to navigate the woods when it's this dark."

            "So basically, you got lost," Shippou piped up again.

            When morning came, they made sure that the fire was completely out and continued on their way. 

            "Can we stay in a village tonight?" Shippou asked.

            "What? Gotten so used to sleeping in Kagome's sleeping bag that you can't take the ground anymore?"

            As they journeyed, they heard a strange sound along the path. At first they thought it was just a random clanking noise like a seed falling from a tree onto the ground below. But as they traveled nearer and the noise became louder and more frequent they quickened their pace. Soon the noise was accompanied by scraping sounds and the occasional grunt. When they came upon a blind turn in the road a shower of stones from around the corner caused them to pause.

            "Hello?" Sango ventured to call out when the stones stopped coming, as did the scraping sounds. 

            "Is someone there?" Miroku added edging towards the turn.

            "If so could you hold your fire for a minute!" Shippou called out from his shoulder perch. 

            When they turned the corner, there in the middle of the path was a young woman. She appeared to be Sango's age, maybe even younger. She was sitting in the middle of the path crying into her knees.

            "_Ano, daijoubu ka?_" Sango asked approaching the girl. 

            Raising her eyes from her knees ever so slightly the girl sniffled. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, tear tracks stained her cheeks, and Sango noticed that her hands were caked in mud and even a little blood. The girl broke down and began sobbing loudly again. 

            "He…he came back yesterday," she sniffled again, "and… and now I don't even have a cha-a-nce…" she sobbed throwing her arms out around Sango—as if by simply being female she would understand her plight. 

            Sango patted the girl's back as she cocked her head back towards her companions. Miroku looked at Shippou who shrugged, and then turning back to Sango a shrug was the best advice he could give as well. Sango sighed inwardly, but continued to console the girl. When she stopped crying so forcefully, Sango asked her if she would be all right. The girl nodded wiping her eyes in her sleeves. Looking up and past Sango, for the first time, she saw Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara. 

            Then as if she were manic-depressive, the girl jumped up and with the happiest expression one could imagine she ran over to Miroku. "You're a _houshi_ right?" she said barely waiting for him to nod before continuing, "Then we're saved! You can help us, can't you?"

            Miroku looked at the girl and smiled, "What's wrong, my child?"

            Sango rolled her eyes rejoining the group, her shoulder soaked with this girl's tears.

            "There's a horrible curse on our village. It's been slowly sucking the happiness out of our lives. Please you have to say that you can help us!"

            Shippou smiled from Miroku's shoulder, "A curse you say? Well that just happens to be our specialty! Of course we can help."

            "It is?" Miroku and Sango said simultaneously. 

            "You can!" Mari squealed with delight.

            "Yep! I'm the brains of the operation," this received a look from the others, "I figure out how to break the curse and the Miroku and Sango here can break it without even trying." Shippou beamed, "We're like Curse Busters, aren't we guys?"

            Without waiting for them to acknowledge Shippou's statement, the girl grabbed Miroku and Sango by the wrists and began to drag them happily back to her village. Exchanging an awkward glance the pair blushed deeply—remembering the last curse that they had broken together. The one where the found out that they were soulmates. 

            "My name is Mari by the way. So you're Sango," she said tugging on Sango's wrist, "and you're Miroku," she did the same to his, "but I didn't catch your names," she turned between Shippou and Kirara who were both just at her eye level.

            "I'm Shippou and this is Kirara. Mari what kind of curse is your village under?"

            "Well… I'd best let the village _miko_ explain that. I would hate to get something wrong." 

            Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance again, and then simultaneously nodded to their captured wrists. "_Ano_, Mari-chan do you think you could give us our arms back?" Sango asked.

            Mari stopped right outside of the _jinja_. "Wait right here. I'll go get the _miko_." Outside of the shrine sat a young man drawing in the dirt with a stick. Sango rubbing her raw wrist approached the young man. 

            "Excuse me. This is going to sound a little odd, but is your village cursed?"

            The boy looked up at her, "Well that would explain a lot of things." Sango turned back to the others and gave them an odd look. The boy continued, "I'm sorry. I just returned home from assisting our _daimyo's_ head _samurai_ and nothing has made sense to me since I've been here. A curse would be a good explanation. I'm waiting for the _miko_ myself so that I can get some answers."

            "_Sou ka_," Sango said before returning to the others. "He didn't know much either."

            "Probably the one Mari was going on about when we found her," Miroku whispered. 

            Sango nodded, "He's just returned home."

            "This place gives me a bad feeling. Can we leave now?" Miroku asked.

            "You probably should leave," an elderly voice said from the shrine entrance. Sango spun around to face the old _miko_ along with the others. 

            "Miko-sama, is it true what they say? Is our village cursed?" the boy asked rising to his feet. 

            "I'm afraid so, Haruko. I'm afraid so." She lowered herself gingerly on the steps and walked over to the little group of strangers. "Mari should not have brought you into our troubles, but she insists that you can somehow help us. I'm afraid that if you stay you will only fall subject to the curse. Though…" the old woman paused looking them up and down, "you seem to be naturally attracted to curses." She turned back to her shrine. Upon reaching the top of the stairs she said, "I must speak with Haruko now. He has been waiting longer. If you leave I will understand, but if you wish to stay the people here will welcome you. Rika can take you anywhere you want to go," she said gesturing to a young shrine maiden in the doorway. 

            Rika met them at the bottom of the stairs as Haruko and the _miko _disappeared into the building. Bowing she said, "My name is Rika let me be of service to you."

            "Well Rika-sama," Miroku said taking her hands in his. 

Sango folded her arms across her chest just waiting for what was to come next. '_And with a shrine maiden, Houshi-sama have you no shame!'_

 "My supper last night was less than filling, would you mind taking us some place that we can nourish our bodies?" Rika smiled and nodded leading the way. Sango blinked a few times as Miroku and Shippou went past her. 

            "Mew?" Kirara asked.

            "Who would have thought," Sango said before following behind them.  

            Sitting at a table with rice and _sakana_ before each of them, Rika asked, "So Mari says that you call yourself the Curse Busters."

            Nearly choking on her food, Sango shot a glare towards Shippou. 

            "Well we've managed to break every curse we've come up against," Shippou said shoving food into his mouth.

            "Except one," Miroku corrected.

            "Have faith, Houshi-sama. We will," Sango said staring straight into his blue eyes.

            "So what kind of curse is your village suffering from?" Shippou asked still under the belief that he must be the one to gather as much information as possible. 

            Rika sighed, "One that keeps everyone from happily marrying."

            "How many people in your village have been affected?" he continued

            "Everyone," she smiled, "Most of the people my age have been directly affected. Actually everyone in my relative age range has been affected except me, and well Haruko. Which has in turn affected the morale of the village, which affects everything from industry to daily life. All I have to say is… if you somehow manage to break this curse I personally will be forever indebted to you." She said locking eyes on Miroku as she concluded. 

            Sango didn't miss this gesture either. "Well if we're going to help, perhaps we should talk to some of those directly affected." She rose from the table, and when Miroku didn't take his eyes from Rika's, she stepped on his foot on her way past him.

            Rika lead them all across the town, going from house to house. Knocking on the door of Haruko's parents, Rika stepped back when his mother answered. "Rika-chan what brings you to our door?" she asked coldly. 

            Rika smiled sweetly, "I've brought some people who wish to speak with Jiro and Sachi."

            "Hn," the older woman replied, "Sachi, could you come here a minute."

            A young woman of eighteen came to the open door and escorted them to the side of the house where they would not interfere with her family's work nor draw attention from the street. "How may I help you?" Sachi greeted.

            "We're here to investigate the curse on this town. We understand that you've been affected by it," Shippou began.

            Sachi laughed, "I guess you could say that."

            "Would you mind telling us how it has affected you?"

            Sachi smiled and stole a glance to Rika. "Well I was to be wed to Naosuke, but only a week before our marriage was to take place the matchmaker arrived on my door and informed me that due to unnatural circumstances I would not be able to marry Naosuke."

            "You poor girl," Miroku said taking in her sleek figure. "So because of this curse you are not happily married?" he said holding her hands.

            "No I am not," Sachi replied not at all offended by his touch.

            "Save it, Houshi-sama," Sango said grabbing him by the shoulder, "We need to speak to everyone if we're going to get to Kaede's by nightfall tomorrow."

            Miroku released the girl's hands and allowed himself to be dragged off. Sachi smiled and waved him—er them—off.

            Most of the meetings went much the same way—Shippou asked the questions, which were all vaguely answered, no one is happily married which apparently gave Miroku the right to hit on every one of them and Sango grew more impatient with him as they went on—and the hours of the day passed quickly. When Rika saw Haruko sitting outside the shrine waiting, she led them back to speak to the _miko_. The sun was already descending in the sky to the west. Rika took them inside before leaving to speak to Haruko, alone. 

            "Miko-sama," Sango said getting the old woman's attention.

            "So you've decided to stay," the elderly _miko_ said turning to greet her guests. 

            "We have little better to do," Sango said dryly, clearly peeved about staying.

            "_Sou ka_," the old woman croned, "Have you eaten?"

            "This morning," Miroku informed her.

            She nodded walking out of the shrine. "Join me for supper then and I shall tell you what I know."

**~**

            "I can't stay long," Haruko spoke softly looking at his feet.

            "Did the _baa-baa_ tell you about what's been going on?" Rika asked.

            Haruko nodded. "Everyone, even Jiro, has been affected. That's why you're the _miko_-in-training?"

            "There's no one else." Rika sighed, "You're not going to stay are you?"

            "Miko-sama has asked me to return to the _daimyo_," he said. "I'll never make it there tonight, but I'm to set out in the morning."

            Rika nodded, "So that's it. You get to just run away."

            Haruko finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, "I don't want to. I left the castle because I was sick of training. They told me that if I stayed with them another five years I could probably be granted a low _samurai_ status."

            "Oh… aren't you special," she remarked snidely. 

            "Apparently," he replied ignoring her tone.

            The water filled log clanked near by. 

            "Take me with you," Rika whispered.

            "What?" Haruko said lifting her head with his hand.

            "I don't want to be a _miko_. I'm not asking to be your wife or anything, I just… I just don't want to stay here."

            Haruko nodded in understanding.   "Where would I take you?" 

            "Anywhere." Her eyes pierced his as the sun sank in the sky.

            A pang crossed his heart, "I have to go. It'll be too dark if I don't go now."

            Rika nodded; a solitary tear streaked down her cheek.

            Haruko gently brushed it away with his thumb. "I'd take you away if I could…" and with that he was gone. 

_'Now that you're back…If I stay I'll surely be cursed too…'_ Rika thought sadly before turning to head into the shrine house where the smell of food wafted from. 

**~**

            "It all began when I was a young shrine maiden. The village seemed to be suffering from a horrible curse. Everyone who married was quite unhappy and for some reason very few were blessed with children. At first we thought that it was the fault of the matchmaker and exiled her from the village, but then these problems still continued. So, we asked advice from a wise, neighboring _miko_." The elderly woman paused, "She came in and did a purification ritual and then gave offerings to the _kami_. The couple that she married on that day had many children and led happy, fulfilled lives. So naturally we repeated her rituals at each marriage henceforth. It was about four years ago now when things started going wrong again."

            "How so?" Shippou asked while blowing on his hot soup.

            Rika breezed into the little room. "You're sending him away to keep me here, aren't you!"

            "Rika," the woman said closing her eyes as a way of gesturing to her guests.

            "I don't care if they're here or not," Rika proclaimed

            "This is not a proper way for a _miko _to act," the old woman said sternly.

            "I am not a _miko_! I don't want to be a _miko_!" Rika lowered her voice a little, "I don't see why we even have _mikos_. It's not like any of us have gifts and powers like the girl from the village up the road did."

            _'Does she mean Kikyo?'_ Miroku and Sango both thought. 

            "It's our tradition to have a _miko_ in the village."

            "And look at where our traditions have gotten us. We're doomed to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors no matter what we do." 

            "Rika, I do wish that you would calm yourself. Get us some _sake_ to help us relax, and I shall continue to explain this curse."

Rika sighed heading over to a small cabinet. A square object with a rounded top and handle sat on top of said nearby cabinet. Opening the cabinet she pulled out four small, flat, cups and a little flask. Then she proceeded to lift the round portion out of the center of the square pot. It was a _sake_ warmer. Filling the flask with warm _sake_ she turned back to the table and began filling the cups repeatedly and offering it to everyone present—not forgetting to take some herself.

"Rika-chan how is it that you have not fallen subject to the curse?" Sango asked.

"Probably because I'm too willing."

"What?"

            "Everyone who is miserable is so because the one that they love cannot be theirs. I am not so picky. I would have been happy with anyone. This curse purposely chooses those who will be most unhappy with the outcome."

            "_Sou ka._"

As the _miko_ began talking again Rika began pouring _sake_ like her life depended on it. She especially attended to Miroku's cup, making sure it was never dry. After an hour she was beginning to get hot, so she loosened her robes a little. "Whew!" she said fanning her exposed neck with her hands. "I should know better than to drink so fast," she smiled. Leaning on the table without fixing her robe she began eyeing Miroku's cup across the way, "Can I fill you up?" she said coyly.

Miroku blinked. He'd downed a few too many cups to avoid looking below her face. He didn't exactly agree, but since he didn't refuse Rika reached across the table and began pouring again. Spilling slightly she giggled. 

"Okay. I think that's enough of that," Sango said placing her hand over Miroku's cup and moving it out of Rika's reach. "Rika-chan. I think we've had enough _sake_ to last us all the entire week. If you're hot, why don't you open the window?"

"Because I'm not worthy of him," she said drunkenly.

"Who?" Shippou asked still quite sober. Sango insisted that he only have one cup. 

Slowly getting to her feet she continued, "He's the town's golden boy, and I'm the black sheep." 

"Now that's what I'd call true love," Miroku whispered to Sango as Rika turned towards the window.

More stable than one would think she walked from the table and opened the window to let in some air. As she did so a shudder passed through her. She felt as if she'd just been touched by something very dark. Feeling odd and lightheaded she sat down quickly. 

"Rika-chan, are you okay?"

"Cold… It felt so cold…"

"It's fairly warm outside, perhaps you're getting sick," Shippou offered.

Looking out the window Miroku noticed that there was no moonlight. '_Tonight's the new moon. Wonder if it's new in Kagome's country tonight too.' _As he continued to ponder this thought a wave of unnatural cold hit him. 

The elderly _miko_ sat back from the table watching Rika shudder on the floor. '_It has begun…'_

___________________________________________________________________________________

Author's Dictionary:

Sakana: fish (usually for eating)

Itai: Ouch. Or an expression of pain.

Ano: Excuse me, Umm… it's either an attention getter or a verbal utterance. 

Daijoubu ka?: "Are you alright?"

Jinja: a Shinto Shrine

Samurai:  warrior(s) that served the daimyos; the samurai pretty much enforced the laws and therefore ruled the land. 

Sou ka: "I see" (it has many translations… this is the one I'm using)

Kami: god/goddess of Shinto

Sake: wine made from rice, traditionally served warm. 

Author's Notes: 

Yes, I know the "dictionary" was rather long last chapter. That was because I had no historical notes for the rather short chapter so figured I'd play the name game for those who are oblivious.  I've italicized all the Japanese words in the text and then listed them in chronological order at the end of the chapter… only to keep dictionaries short I'm not repeating the words after defining them in the last chapter… at least not when they're _miko _and _houshi_… and other really, really commonly used words. 

So this Chapter could be more aptly titled "Shippou's Power Trip," but hey he doesn't get many chances to actually take charge…and get away with it. ^_^

I **promise**… I will reveal what the _kanji_ read before the story is over. You aren't supposed to know what it says until that point in the story comes around again. Remember I said that the prologue was _in media res_… meaning it came from the middle of the story… Chapter One is actually about three days before the prologue (sorry if I didn't make that clear enough before). 

Well… I could give you all this grand scale history lesson on daimyos and samurai… but I'm really tired and it's probably not necessary to follow the story. Um…I was thinking about writing a brief history of the village here… but… I haven't finished writing Chapter Four…and I might include most of it in there so I'm going to hold off for now. 

Questions, Comments, Nasty Remarks? 

Leave me a review to let me know what you think… the more reviews the sooner I will finish the unwritten chapters. It's called motivation, and sometimes inspiration. Well Tune in next Saturday for the next installment…and don't forget to read _Sango's Ordeal_ if you haven't already, this is a sequel after all. ^_^.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Coming up next week: Chapter Three: The Curse

"Houshi-sama!" Sango said sinking further into the water before balling up her fists. But Miroku didn't even glance her way. 

"_Gomen_ _nasai_, Sango," he said before racing past her. 

"Houshi-sama?" Sango whispered watching him go, _'Something's wrong. He purposely didn't look at me at all.'_


	4. The Curse

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi created Inu-Yasha and all of its characters, including Sango and Miroku. I created this story and a lot of other insanities that aren't relevant here. Go ahead and sue me… you won't get much, for I own very little. 

Author's Note: You have now reached the beginning. If you don't remember the contents of the Prologue go back and read it. ^_^.  This is still a sequel to _Sango's Ordeal_ and you will notice that in certain comments that the characters make to and about each other. 

Just a side note: remember fusuma leads to hall, shoji leads to outside. 

**Miroku's Worst Fear** Chapter Three: The Curse 

            In the early morning light, Sachi snuck into her friend's room. "Rika-chan," she whispered so as not to wake the old _miko_.

            The scent of _sake_ drifted through the air of the little hut. _'Party last night? Get a few travelers together and get them drunk, was that your plan or the baa-baa's, Rika?' _She sighed mid-though, _'too bad though, because he was rather cute.'_ As she turned to where Rika slept she saw that her _futon_ was folded in the corner with the blankets on it. Rika's never up this early. "Rika-chan?" she said a little louder. '_If she's not here then perhaps…'_

**~**

            A few hours passed and the sunlight shone off the water in the _onsen_ in the center of town. A community inn was built around the largest part of it. The center rooms opened up to it as a courtyard.

            In his room, Miroku slept soundly until the early-morning hours had passed. He would have slept much longer had it not been for his rather rude awakening when a cat pounced on his chest. 

            "Mm…cat," he muttered in his half-awake state as he brushed his right arm across himself to knock the cat away. No sooner than his hand had stopped moving, his eyes shot open. '_What was that?' Miroku thought to himself. _

            As he had brushed his hand across his torso to chase off the cat he graced an arm resting across his abs. Gently feeling the soft skin, and confirming where his other hand was, he began to follow the arm over to his left side. There, sleeping peacefully next to him was a girl with long, dark brown hair.

            Her hair pooled out around her head as if she had just flopped down to his side a few moments ago. Miroku knew that she had to have been sleeping like this for hours, but dared not wake her by pushing back her hair to see her face. Looking her up and down to try and identify the sleeping maiden, he noticed her shapely figure wrapped securely beneath the sheet and her feet sticking out of the end of it where the cat was now grooming himself. Nothing about this scene gave him any clue except the cat. Who's cat was it? It must be her cat. Of course, he was only with two girls last night and he can rule out one of them ever agreeing to this._'Oh great! Sango! She is going to have my head when she finds out about this,' he thought trying to figure out how much that little shrine maiden, what was her name again, had given him to drink. __'I must have been really drunk, last night,' he thought gently rolling away from her leaving the silk sheet and her arm behind, _'I don't even like her.'__

            Miroku sat up slowly, realizing his nudity. _'Where are my clothes?'_ he located a black, white, and gray pile of cloth, _'Those aren't my clothes,' he thought continuing to look around the room and fining nothing. It was then that he noticed the faint smell of sulfur in the air and the warmth radiating from the floor_. A hot spring? I don't remember there being hot springs here. They must keep them well hidden_. Taking a moment to make sure that his companion was still asleep he gathered himself up and headed for the door. _

            Gently sliding back the shoji he saw it, the most beautiful _onsen_ he'd ever seen. There were a dozen rooms that opened up to this terrace; each had a wooden bar just outside the door. Taking a small pink towel to hide his nudity, Miroku continued to take in the sight. The rocks were arranged so that the occupants of each room could have their own little pie slice of the _onsen_. In the center it seemed to open up a little with large flat rocks forming a circle. All around the _onsen_, except in front of his room, were small _sakura_ trees; their branches made the veranda of each room a little separated from the next. His room lacked tree cover but only because the hot spring continued around the rock and under the room. It went down into the ground shortly after the room and popped up again across the street—not that Miroku knew this. The petals were at the end of their bloom and falling from the trees into the hot spring below. "_Kirei_," he whispered, "this town may be cursed, but they must have some magical soil to get the trees to grow by the hot spring like this." Walking around in awe of the hidden beauty in the village something caught his eye. 

On the side of the open shoji to his room was a scroll pinned up with two little kanji on them. "_Shinkon?" he said out loud. Snatching the paper off the doorframe, he stepped back over the threshold of his room. His sleeping companion was wrapped up in red silk sheets. Sticks of incense continued to burn to their wicks around the orange blossoms and roses at the head of the futon. __'The cat, the flowers, the silk…' Miroku gulped, looking back to the pile of clothes. A white _kimono_ made of pure silk—a __shiromuku—lay rumbled up with a black __haori, more specifically a __kuromontsuki, and gray __hakama. "Oh shit," Miroku breathed.  _

            Quickly and quietly he flew through the room, gathering the clothes and shoving them into the _futon_ cabinet. Next he thought to get rid of the flowers and incense but as he approached the _futon_, the girl began to stir. Panicking, Miroku raced back out the door leaving the flowers and the cat behind. The cat. He could get the cat out. Or so he thought, squatting just outside the shoji he tried to coax the cat from the room. The gray tomcat lifted his head towards Miroku. "Here _neko_ _neko_. Here boy," Miroku whispered repetitively. As if to spite Miroku the cat began rubbing his head on the bared feet of the sleeping girl. Miroku saw her feet move to ward off the cat. This alarmed the cat and he made a move to bite her toes. That's when it happened. She moved enough that from his crouched position at the open shoji he could see her face clearly. His heart began racing so much that all he could hear was its beat in his ears. "S-S-Sango?" he breathed slowly backing away from the open door. 

            He backed up so much that he didn't even notice when he walked right off the veranda and fell into the _onsen_. Hearing her stir inside he scurried to hide himself behind a rock in the center of the spring. Breathing hard Miroku sunk deep into the water. _'Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!_' he thought with every heartbeat. _'I-I-I and with Sango! This is unreal! I know she said she'd bear my child and that we'd do this in the future, but… but I didn't think the future would be so soon! What the hell happened last night? I mean I spent the entire day hitting on women who deep down I knew were married. Not that they acted married; probably because they were all miserable. But that's not the point! I was only flirting to see that little jealous look cross her face. How much did I drink? Hell, how much did **she** drink?! She should not have been in the mood for…for **this**!'_ Miroku's mind continued to race. He heard noises in the background but wasn't paying enough attention to identify them. He opened his hand a little to read the little scroll that he was somehow still clutching. _'Shinkon. It really does say shinkon; I didn't misread it. Oh shit…now she's really going to kill me!' _Miroku thought growing more worried with each moment.  

            "Houshi-sama?" a voice called out, practically in his ear. 

            Miroku's heart skipped a beat. _'I can't let her know. That's it I'll just pretend nothing happened,'_ he thought quickly. "_Hai_, Sango?" he responded quietly not wanting to alarm her with his presence. Giving the paper one last glance to be sure he crumpled it in his fist just before Sango sank into the water on the other side of the rock.

            "I knew you were out here somewhere," she sighed.

            "Oh? I didn't realize we were so connected that you could sense my presence," he said smiling forcedly.

            "Um… no. I just know you and figured you couldn't be too far from a hot spring when there wasn't any barrier between male and female lots."

            Miroku sighed, "Ah, you've caught me. I'm sitting behind this rock just so I can spy on the pretty girl across the way."

            "As long as you're not staring at me," Sango said sourly, folding her arms across her chest. _'Why does he always have to go out of his way to point out that he's still chasing other girls. I mean…I practically told him that I would bear him two sons.'_

            "_Ano_… Sango?"

            "Hm?"

            "Do you… do you remember what happened last night?"

            Sango searched her memory. "That's strange. I can't remember a thing since dinner. I think Rika over did it with the _sake_."

            _'Rika! That's her name.'_ Miroku breathed, _'Whew, if she doesn't remember then it'll be easier to deny it.'_

            "Houshi-sama?"

            "Hm?" he said coming out of his reverie.

            "Do you remember?"

            "Remember what?" 

            "Last night. After dinner."

            "Not very well."

            "Where are Shippou and Kirara?"

            "I'm not sure. I haven't seen them all morning." Miroku was starting to get antsy sitting just on the other side of the rock from her. Then one realization rang through his head _'Uh-oh…Shippou probably knows!'_ Miroku jumped up from his seated position without thinking and began to turn to head back to their room. Their room? How was he going to explain that? 

            "Houshi-sama!" Sango said sinking further into the water before balling up her fists. But Miroku didn't even glance her way. 

"_Gomen_ _nasai_, Sango," he said before racing past her. 

"Houshi-sama?" Sango whispered watching him go, _'Something's wrong. He purposely didn't look at me at all.'_ She wanted to spend more time soaking, but Sango didn't want to loose this chance to figure out what was going on. Rising to her feet and securing her towel in place she chased after him.

Walking up to the _shoji_, Sango could see him staring down at the _futon_ and misplaced sheets in his dripping wet towel. Trying not to focus on the towel she kept her eyes focused on his. "Houshi-sama?" she said softly so as not to startle him.

That didn't work. Hearing her voice once again so close he jumped turning to face her. "Sango, what are you… I thought you were soaking."

"What's wrong?" she asked ignoring his frightened animal expression. 

Miroku closed his eyes, _'Focus. Focus'_ he thought reopening them to lock gazes with her. "No-nothing is wrong. I just…I just…" he stammered not sure of what he was going to say. For some reason today he couldn't think of any plausible sounding lies, and he couldn't lie to her if he wanted to.

Sango let her gaze fall to the floor. Looking around the room she noticed that there weren't any clothes. _'That's odd.'_ Snapping her head back to the bed something dawned on her. "Why are you in my room?"

"Be-because it's my room," Miroku closed his eyes knowing what was coming next.

            "Tell me you woke up on the _futon_," she breathed.

            "Would that make you feel better?" Miroku asked stupidly, wondering why he didn't just agree.

            Sango sank to the floor, "Oh god…Oh god…Oh god…" she said hugging her knees and staring off through the flowers.

            Watching her regress was more than he could bear. He took a deep breath and walked over to her. Sitting down before her with his knees bent to either side he placed his hands on her arms, "Shh…shh…it's okay. It's okay…" he whispered—not really believing his own words. 

            She sunk her face into her knees and allowed him to hug her placing his head on her own. They sat like this for about a minute while she came to her senses. Opening her eyes, she remembered how little they were wearing. _'How much of last night did he say he remembered?'_ she thought eyeing him suspiciously. "Don't touch me!" she said sternly moving her arms out to get him to let go. 

            Miroku raised his hands in surrender. He didn't want to offend her any more than he already had. What he wasn't expecting was what she said next.

            "You did this didn't you? You got me so drunk that I wouldn't know what I was doing, and you took advantage of me. Don't ever touch me again!" she said slugging him across the face as hard as she could.  

            Storming across the room she tore back the _noren_ and flung the _fusuma_ open. At her feet were two piles of clothing neatly folded. Turning briefly she saw that he wasn't watching her and she quickly dressed in her own clothes before leaving. 

            Shippou and Kirara were sitting on a bench outside of the inn. When they saw Sango dart past, Kirara followed her and Shippou turned to run inside. Coming upon the open doorway to their room he picked up Miroku's clothes and brought them inside. "Your weapons are still in the shrine house," he said setting the clothes down at Miroku's head. "Whoa…what did you two do in here last night?" Shippou smirked looking around the room.

            "I have no idea. I can't remember anything," Miroku said holding his face and not moving.

            "Anything?" Shippou asked. "So… you don't remember…"

            Miroku held up the little wet scroll. "No. I don't. Neither does Sango, and I'd like to keep it that way," he said finally cocking his prone head to see the little _kitsune_. 

            "Well I won't tell her but there were a lot of townspeople there."

            "Wonderful…" he sighed sitting up. "Where is she now?"

            "Walking around the marketplace with Kirara."

            Miroku grabbed his clothing and began to dress, "If that's the case, I'd better tell her before someone else does."

            "So you guys really don't remember anything?"

            "No," he said pulling material over his head.

            "Then that must be how the curse works," Shippou said following Miroku out of the room as he tied the last part of his ensemble together. 

            "What?" he asked pausing to place his shoes on his feet as he exited the inn.

            "You guys must have gotten caught up in the curse. I mean that's what happened to everyone else…" Shippou said, but Miroku wasn't really listening. As soon as he hit the street he was concentrating on locating Sango. 

            Walking up to the first person he recognized. "Have you seen Sango?"

            "No. I haven't. So how are you two doing this morning?"

            Miroku touched his cheek. "Fine. No different than usual," he said walking away. Coming up to the next vendor, an old man he had not met before, he asked, "Have you seen a brunette in pink walk by here with a cat?"

            "You mean your girl?" a man in his mid-twenties asked turning around to greet them. "It's okay grandpa, I'll take care of him." The old man nodded and turned to help someone else. 

            Miroku nodded not knowing how else to respond to that.

            "Last night was quite some night for you wasn't it?"

            "I'm sure it was. Not that I can remember any of it," he sighed. _'This small talk crap isn't getting me anywhere.'_

            "Don't worry, it'll all come flooding back to you eventually. She's just went that way about five minutes ago," he said pointing down the road.

            Nodding Miroku took off down the road.

            Sango's walking around calmed her down a bit. _'Houshi-sama isn't that perverted. He wouldn't just do that…would he?'_ Sango shook her head, _'No, he wouldn't. Besides what was up with our clothes sitting outside of the room like that? We didn't strip down in the middle of the town did we?'_ Sango began to look around her. No one was staring at her oddly as if she'd exposed herself to an entire town the night before. Breathing again she realized how hungry she was. Entering the little diner they had eaten at yesterday, she waved to the older man who owned the place and waited for him to greet her like he did yesterday at the door. Instead the old man looked right past her as if he couldn't see her. "Did I become invisible?" she whispered to Kirara.

            "Mew," Kirara assured her. 

            Sango took a step forward, leaving her _zori_ behind; maybe he didn't recognize her without Rika. "Excuse me?" Sango said trying to get his attention as he walked past. 

            One of the serving girls came up to her. "Don't mind him. He's one of those old fashioned men. Believes that the woman can't make decisions for herself even when she's alone. Insists on speaking with her husband."

            "Husband?" Sango repeated not sure she heard correctly.

            "Yeah, it happened to all of us the morning after we got married. It's like single women seem to have a mind of their own, but we must give it away somewhere in that ceremo…"

            Sango didn't wait for her to finish. She dashed back out of the door. Picking up her shoes she saw Miroku talking to someone across the street. "Husband?" she said louder looking at Kirara for advice. 

            "Mew?" Kirara replied sheepishly.

            Sango raced down the street nearly knocking over a vegetable stand and flew back into the inn. Running down the hall to the room where the door was still open she stood with her mouth agape, heart pounding, and breathing uneven as she pushed through the _noren_ to enter the room. "Red silk sheets…flowers and incense…" she began to sink to the ground. "And wasn't there even a tomcat?" Running her hands along the edge of her rumpled bridal sheets she turned to notice the design on the _noren_. "Cranes…" Looking to the other side of the room she noticed a corner of white cloth protruding from the cabinet. Gingerly getting to her feet, she reached out trembling arms to pull back the door. Inside she found the most beautiful white, silk _kimono_ she had ever seen. Dropping back down to her knees she noticed a pair of feet just beyond the _fusuma_. "Did you know?"            

            Miroku slowly pushed through the _noren_ to join her, shutting the _fusuma_ behind him. "Only after I found this attached to the outside of the _shoji_," he said pulling the crumpled, damp paper from his pocket. 

            "_Shinkon_," Sango sighed. "So it's true. We didn't just share a bed we got m-married."          

            Miroku nodded. 

            Sango dropped her head into her hands. "How did this happen? Why did this happen? I don't… I don't understand."

            "If it makes you feel any better it was a beautiful ceremony," Shippou said from the doorway.

            Sango glanced up, "And why can't I remember?" As she spoke her heart began beating faster. "This is not right. It's just not right. This isn't the way things were supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to give in… we weren't supposed to do _any_ of _this_ until _you_ beat **_your_ curse**!" she said raising her voice and her finger.

            Not taking to well to the fact that he was suddenly the bad guy again when as far as he could remember he did nothing wrong, Miroku shouted back the only thought that came to mind. "Relax would you? I want to be married to you even less than you want to be married to me! Can we just drop this blaming…" he didn't finish because of what he saw next.

            Upon hearing his words, tears began to well up in Sango's eyes. "Why?" she began calmly and quietly. "Am I not feminine enough to be your wife?" she said getting to her feet and turning away from him as fast as she could. Through the still open shoji she ran out of the room. She ran so hard and so fast that she forgot her shoes when she hit the wood.

______________________________________________________________________

Author's Dictionary:

Kirei: Pretty

Kimono: traditional Japanese clothing. Straight-line, one-piece outfit that can be worn by men, women, and children without body shape going into consideration upon creation of kimono. 

Shiromuku: the technical name for the pure white wedding kimono. 

Haori: a half-shirt. It resembles the kimono only it falls just below the waist and is worn with some form of pants. Usually worn by only men.

Kuromontsuki: Black haori with the family-crest painted on the back. Only worn for special occasions—such as weddings. 

Hakama: trouser-like split skirt. It looks like a skirt, it has pleats, but it's not a skirt it's a pair of pants. Samurai wore these in everyday wear (like Kenshin does). __

Neko: Cat

Shinkon: …. ^_^.  (I'm not telling…)

Zori: sandals made out of soft straw.

(incase you forgot)

Onsen: A hot spring with high mineral contents. 

Noren: A hanging curtain with split panels. This one is a three panel… so it's most likely that to pass through it one would push the middle panel up or to the side. It is hanging over the interior door (fusuma) on the inside of the room for decoration.

Author's Notes:

            Okay… I promised in the prologue that I would explain the symbolism running rampant in the room when I caught up with it in the story. Well… here we are in this room by the hot spring, yet again.  Here we go deep breath I did a lot of research on traditional weddings in Japan, both Shinto and Buddhist, and I couldn't find any really set pattern that existed pre-1900's. But… I haven't found anything to tell me exactly what weddings would be like in the 1550's… so… I spliced and created my own wacky wedding system for this town. The shiromuku worn today is very, very elaborate and worn in layers and with a hood, umm… Sango's was pretty simple. The kuromontsuki and a pair of gray, sometimes vertically striped, hakama are worn by the men today… I know they existed back then, but I don't know if it was common for men to wear them to their own wedding or not. I don't mention it because it's not all that important, but the crest on the kuromontsuki is obviously not Miroku's—because how the hell would the villagers know what that was and I doubt Miroku-sama just carries one around in his "back pocket"—so I've designed it to be a generic symbol that the village uses for weddings. 

            Now onto the random room decorations: I picked red silk sheets, because red is a traditional wedding color and for other joyous occasions, that and… never mind. In the Shinto tradition, the women of the family would prepare a bridal bed for the newly-married couples first night together. They would adorn the bed with flowers (and in Buddhism, incense as well). The flowers at the headboard are roses and orange blossoms because it has been said that the scent of these flowers relax the muscles and release nervousness and are often placed in the rooms to help the young virgin brides relax. I couldn't find a scent of incense that was specific to weddings, so I just didn't mention what it was. And as for that cat… a tomcat was also put with the bridal bed to ensure fertility. Nice huh.  The cranes are a symbol of fertility and faithfulness because they mate for life. 

             Okay…I think that's it for wedding Japanese-style information. If you wanna know more just mail me and I'll either send you to where I got my info or just tell you what you want to know ^_^.

            So… what do you think of it now? For all of you who don't know what connubial means… it's synonymous with matrimonial.  Should they stay married or should I let them just pretend what they can't remember didn't happen? Review to let me know what you think. 

     _________________________________________________________________________________________

Coming up in Chapter Four: (tentatively named) The Answer

Sango waited for him to continue. Wondering what half-truths he was going to spout next to try and comfort her. She wasn't going to fall for them so easily.

            "I'm…I'm afraid."

            "Afraid? Afraid of what? Afraid of getting close to someone? Afraid of letting them in?" She stormed throwing her hands out on each thought…


	5. The Answer

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. If I did do you think people would put up with me not updating for a whole month? 

     Author's Notes: Just a reminder that this is the sequel to _Sango's Ordeal_. Also this chapter has some implications of adult thoughts and situations—you've been warned in advance skip over everything Miroku says…well not everything ^_^. 

** Miroku's Worst Fear****** Chapter Four: The Answer 

            _'Damnit! I'm such a fucking idiot!' _

            "Ooh…that was dumb," Shippou said, shaking his head.

            Miroku lifted his head from his hands, "That didn't come out the way I meant it."

            "I hope not," Shippou began again, "because that was just mean. I mean I know Rika said that you marry the one that would make you most miserable, but geez you don't have to go that far."

            "Shippou!" Miroku took a deep breath calming himself. "I'm sorry I yelled, but it's better if she is mad at me. It'll be easier for her to agree to forget this ever happened. I can't…I can't be married. Not even to Sango."

            "Miroku?" Shippou asked noticing that the _houshi_ was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles were white and staring out the _shoji._ He made his way over to Miroku and floated himself to alight on his shoulder. "Perhaps you should go find her and explain this all to her."

            Miroku nodded and began walking towards the _fusuma_. 

            "Uh…Miroku, aren't you going the wrong…waAAAAY!" Shippou said landing on his tail in the hallway as the _fusuma_ slid shut before him one more time.

            Taking a few moments to gather his wits, Miroku peered out the open doorway. Slowly placing a bare foot on the soft warm wood, he edged his way from the safety of the room. Sango was nowhere to be seen. At first he wondered if she had run through another room just to get away from him and his insensitive words, but as he was walking through the falling _sakura_ he heard a sniffle. "Sango?" he whispered into the afternoon air.

            "Go away..." came the soft reply to his right. Looking right all he saw was the beautiful _onsen_. Scanning the area he stopped on the trunk of the _sakura_ tree right in front of him. Following the trunk up to its pale pink petals and its thin withering branches he caught a glimpse of a slender foot hanging from one of the thicker branches.

            Miroku sighed, "Come down? Please."

            "No," Sango replied. He could hear her holding back sniffles but pain radiated through her tone. 

            "Can I come up?" he replied softly.

            "Do you want to get wet?" she said evenly, but it had no effect Miroku was already attempting to get a grasp on the tree branches. Swinging his leg upward his robe got snagged on a low branch. Pushing the full weight of his body onto the branch he heard the rip but continued to climb until he was level with her. "Stay on your own branch. I swear, you come any closer and I'll push you in," she said softly but gravely.

            "Sango…"

            "I don't want to hear it," she said crossing her arms and looking away.

            "Yes… you do," he replied calmly turning her face to meet his.

            "Alright. Why not? What's wrong with me?" she said louder than she'd intended.

            "What in the world could ever make you think there was something wrong with you?" He said sincerely. "Usually my words that don't concern _houshi_-business don't carry much weight."

            "Oh so…it my fault for misunderstanding," she said averting her eyes in the other direction.

            Miroku sighed, "This isn't coming out at all how it's supposed to. Sango listen to me."

            "Why should I?" she said in a harsh even tone.

            "It's not _you_ that I don't want to be married to. I just… I don't want to be married to anyone."

            Sango waited for him to continue. Wondering what half-truths he was going to spout next to try and comfort her. She wasn't going to fall for them so easily.

            "I'm…I'm afraid."

            "Afraid? Afraid of what? Afraid of getting close to someone? Afraid of letting them in?" She stormed throwing her hands out on each thought nearly knocking one of them from the tree.

            "Yes." 

            Sango stopped and turned to face him of her own free will for the first time all day. "Houshi-sama?"

            Miroku took a deep breath. "When I was a little boy I swore to myself that I would never get married, and I'd never have my own children, and I'd never get attached to anyone."

            Sango raised an eyebrow. _'Never have children?'_

            "Let me finish. When I was about six, my father died right before my eyes. The winds picked up, there was a flash of light in the distance, and it was all Mushin could do to keep me back. Do you remember the crater at the _jiin_ when you all came to find me?"

            "The one you were sitting in? With the memorial stone?"

            Miroku nodded, "As the _kaazana_ tore him apart, sucking him into oblivion it took a section of earth with him. When the wind ceased, before the pains began shooting through my arm I went into this open pit in search of my father. And I found nothing. Nothing to burn, nothing to bury, nothing to mourn. My father disappeared from this earth and the only things he left behind were a hole void of life and growth and void that would grow to my death." Miroku couldn't help but stare at his right palm. When he looked up Sango placed a thumb to his face. She wiped away a tear. He hadn't even realized that he'd been crying. "I swore then and there that I didn't want anyone to have to live through that pain and torture of watching their loved ones disintegrate. I promised that I wouldn't have a family to leave behind."

             "It's too late for that?" she said softly. "You've already become attached; we've already become a family. There is no going back now. I'll be there when you die, wife or not. And I will mourn, because there's more to you than just this," she said taking his hand and touching his cheek. "There's also the part of you that lives here," she said taking her hand from his and placing it over her heart. Miroku made a move to follow and she instinctively slapped his hand down. "And in Kirara, Kagome, Shippou, and even Inu-yasha."

            "True." He clasped her hands in his and looked into her eyes, "but Sango, why would you want to be my wife. You know me, and I don't want to see you hurt if at sometime I can't control my actions." 

            "I know, and I didn't ask to be your wife…" 

            "Then why do this? Why can't we just pretend it didn't happen? They were just words. Words that we can't even remember."

            "Houshi-sama. They're words with meaning and purpose. Besides, there was more than just words."

            "Oh that…"

            "It may not mean anything to you, but where I come from people don't just do that. I was mortified this morning thinking that I had failed my family somehow. Failed my mother. Failed myself. But while I was sitting here thinking of how absolutely doomed I was to be married to something so wretched as you I couldn't help but think, 'Well at least I did something right.' So what if I didn't marry the man of my dreams…"

            "Actually you did," he corrected.

            "If I didn't get the ceremony I've been dreaming of since I was a girl…"

            "How do you know? Shippou did say it was beautiful."

            "If my family wasn't there to be a part of it…"

            He opened his mouth to retort again, but, honestly, what could he say to that.

            "At least I had done one thing properly. One thing that I didn't have to be ashamed of. One time that I could tell my mother that I actually complied to her wishes."

             "It means that much to you? To have been married first."

            Sango nodded. "Actually it meant that much to my mother, and I've failed her on just about every other aspect of what it means to be a girl."

            Miroku couldn't help but smile. "But why would anyone want to marry some prissy, worthless girl, when they could have you?"

            "Flattery, Houshi-sama, won't get you completely out of the woods."

            "But it helps?"

            "It helps."

            "Can we get out of this tree before it breaks and we both end up in the water?"

            A few minutes later the couple reentered their room. Miroku went to rolling up the futon and the bed sheets while Sango went to the _fusuma_ and slid it back enough to permit Kirara—who had been pawing at it—and Shippou back in. 

            The four sat on the floor to try and sort things out. Miroku and Sango had their backs to the shoji and sitting a few feet apart watched Shippou pace back and forth before them. Kirara was nestled snugly in Sango's lap. 

            Something had been troubling Shippou all morning, "I don't get it. Rika said that you're forced to marry the one who you would be most unhappy to be married to, right?"

            "…right," Miroku baited him on.

            "So then why aren't you married to Rika right now?"

            Miroku and Sango cast each other an uneasy glance.

            Shippou continued, "Don't get me wrong, I know you two don't see eye to eye most of the time. And you've been fighting like a married couple since we got here,"

            "We have not!"

            "Shh…Sango control yourself. I think Shippou has a point. You said I was possessed first and that it passed Rika over. If it were truly a methodical curse we wouldn't be married right now," he said looking at her.

            "Okay. So it's not a methodical curse," Sango replied getting frustrated with this lack of knowledge. "Wait…" _'does that mean that you…you…' _Sango stared at the man next to her.

            Miroku broke eye contact first. "Okay Shippou, you're the _brains_ behind this operation, if it's not a curse what is it?" 

            "Well it's not completely random. I mean the people we met yesterday _all_ had tales of not being able to marry the one they truly loved," Sango added as Shippou paced trying to piece things together. 

            "So then perhaps instead of a curse set in stone, one person in the village is cursing each couple in turn," he finally concluded.

            "Someone like who, though? We've met just about everyone in the village and they all seem to be in the same boat," Miroku said doubtfully. 

            Shippou frowned, "Everyone except Rika."

            "Wait. You think Rika is the one behind this?" Sango questioned. 

            "But…she's probably the one who has suffered the most. I mean she doesn't want to be a _miko_ and yet she's training to be one, she couldn't have set herself up to be alone for the rest of her life on purpose. Trust me, I don't think that's her style."

            Sango glared at Miroku as he concluded thinking, _'And just how would you know what her style is?'_

            "Well actually…what if what she wanted…or should I say who she wanted was Haruko. You guys might not have been fully conscious when we discussed his family heritage. In the original curse that passed through the town decades ago, the first child born in the generation came from the couple the visiting _miko_ helped marry. That child was Haruko's father, and as such their family became noted as a very important family. Haruko being the first-born male and hand chosen by the samurai to join their ranks makes him the most desired mate. Mari was crying because her chance with him was lost. I bet many of the girls share Mari's feelings. I bet Rika felt the same way too, and concocted this whole scheme to trick the people into being married off miserably so that when he returned she'd be the only one left."

            "I still think this is absurd, but why would she make them all miserable, why not just marry them off quickly to whomever they were most compatible with?"

            "Because… by causing another bout of curses and Haruko and her "breaking" the curse it'll make their family standing even greater." Shippou said pleased with his investigation skills. 

            Miroku continued to frown and looked over at Sango who was sharing his expression. Something about what Shippou was saying just didn't feel right. 

            "Okay," Sango said, "How did she do it?"

            "Black magic?" Shippou suggested.

            Sango shook her head, "She isn't giving off any sort of vibes that would suggest that she knows any kind of magic, let alone black."

            "Maybe it's not natural magical. Maybe she came across some script in the shrine and is using her herbal training to create this dark curse."

            "Shippou!" Miroku and Sango both stared at him, "you are going overboard with this. Besides, the weddings were happening before she started her _miko_ training," Miroku concluded. 

            "Okay. So if it's not Rika, who is it?" Shippou pouted crossing his arms and sitting back down.

            No one had a better answer at that moment.

            "Okay… but what I want to know is why I can't remember anything," Sango said looking and Shippou and then the _houshi_. 

            "I don't remember anything either, you know."

            "Yes, but Houshi-sama, what I want to remember and what you want to remember are two completely different events." Her glare pierced his innermost being and he recoiled because he knew there was no escaping when she was beyond anger like this. That gaze that sent chills down his spine and made him afraid to even look at her wrong let alone touch her. 

            "Guys… not now… we need to focus," Shippou said walking between them shaking his head. He'd seen that look on her face before and he knew that if he didn't break this up now they'd never get back on track before Inu-yasha and Kagome came back. No, if he let this continue, Inu-yasha and Kagome would have been back so long that they would have tracked the others down which would only have made matters worse if this curse wasn't broken by then.

            Miroku sighed relieved for the interruption, "The guy in the market said that our memories will return in time." Miroku paused and looked up, "Maybe there's a clue buried in our memories."

            Shippou about jumped with excitement, "If you focus I bet you can recall the memories now."

            Sango and Miroku sat against the walls on opposite sides of the room trying to collect their memories for the next half an hour. Sango dropped her shoulders and sighed. Frustrated she clenched her fists opening her eyes she spoke, "This is futile. I'm not getting anywhere." Looking across the way she saw Miroku peacefully sitting with his eyes closed and a big grin plastered on his face. "Houshi-sama, has anything come back to you?" 

            He didn't respond.

            "Houshi-sama!" 

            "Hm?" he said acknowledging her without opening his eyes.

            Sango took a deep breath, "what do you see?"

            "Uh…" Miroku hesitated to respond. 

            "I told you what I wanted to remember and what he wanted to remember were two completely different things," she grumbled to herself, "Houshi-sama do you see anything unusual?"

            "Other than this memory being from a third person point of view…"

            "Wait what do you mean?" Shippou asked.

            "I mean…I'm watching the glorious event from the sidelines not from my own eyes."

            Sango sat down in front of him placing her hands on his knees, "If our memories are from outside of our body, is it possible we were possessed by something?"

            Shippou wrinkled up his nose as if to point something Sango had overlooked out.

            "I mean other than magical herbs and spells…" she cut Shippou off before he could question.

            Shippou paused a moment to think, Miroku continued to focus on his memories, and Sango sat waiting for a response impatiently. She glanced briefly at Kirara who on cue edged her way forward ready to pounce if needed. Shippou broke the silence, "a spiritual possession. Yes that would make sense, but what were you possessed by?"

            "Houshi-sama?" Sango asked directing the question to him. 

            When he didn't respond she made a nod of her head and Kirara leapt on him threatening to bite. Miroku opened his eyes and looked at Sango over the still, small firecat, "some kind of animals. It's completely primal, we definitely weren't possessed by humans." 

            Sango shuddered a little at the implication of what he'd just seen. "Animals? Why? I mean, what kind of animals just possess people for fun?" They both turned to look at Shippou. 

            Shippou folded his arms, "There is no way a _kistune_ is responsible for this."

            "Oh and why is that?" Miroku asked clearly amused by Shippou's insulted expression.

            "Well for one thing, you'd be able to remember everything clearly." When he saw that this wasn't enough to appease them he continued.

            "Most _kistunes_ who do these kind of practical jokes are males who possess pretty girls." Shippou paused not making eye contact with them, "if what Miroku saw was true these were not two _kistunes_…the females don't play practical jokes."

            Realization of Shippou's words could be seen across their faces clearly as they turned away from him. "So…" Sango thought, "why are there animals trying to curse the village?"

            Miroku sat up. "What if they're angry because the people of the village wronged them somehow? The question is how?"

            "And I'll bet anything that the answer is in the ceremony itself," Sango said getting to her feet. 

            "Anything?" Miroku questioned softly. 

            Ignoring him she continued, "We need to find the old _miko_ and ask her to tell us the ritual in detail." Before she could finish Shippou was already out the door on his way to the shrine. Sango and Kirara began to follow. At the door Sango paused and looked behind her, Miroku was still sitting on the floor. He had resumed his position of reclining with his eyes closed. "Houshi-sama, are you coming?"

            "In a minute. I want to see how this ends."

            "Houshi-sama…" Sango glowered walking over to him to smack him. After all, the less of this he sees the better, right? 

            Sensing her approach he readied himself and placed his hands on either side of her legs twisting her and pulling her off of her feet just enough that she would fall right into his lap. Looking into her eyes he spoke softly, "You know it's not too late to change your mind. That wasn't you, it wasn't even me, we should be able to overlook it—at least this once…" he paused and with the same serious face continued, "if not two or three more times," he smiled. 

            "Houshi-sama," Sango shot him a death glare, which he ignored. 

_'She's so cute when she's angry,'_ he thought leaning in ever so slightly to take advantage of her proximity. 

            Realizing what he was up to, Sango instinctively tensed. _'But…he _**is**_ my husband…' _she thought unclenching her fist. 

            "Well this is a first," a dusky female voice said from the doorway. Sango and Miroku both turned to look at the old _miko_. "I've never walked in on a newly-cursed couple that was actually happy to be together," she rasped, letting out a small chuckle at the embarrassment radiating from their blushing faces. "I was just coming to check on you when I ran into Shippou on the street."

            Sango stood and approached the older woman. "Did Shippou, tell you that we'd like you to take us through the original ceremony, as best as you can remember, step by step?" 

            "That shouldn't be too hard. It's pretty much the same ceremony we used last night."

            The _miko_ lead the way back to the old shrine. 

            As they walked down the street Miroku wondered something, "If you know that the couple doesn't want to be married then why do you marry them?"

            "In general or you two specifically?"

            "Both," Sango answered for him.

            "Over the years, we have learned that it is just easier to comply. Last night in particular, I performed the ceremony for the safety of my village."

            "The safety?" they all asked in unison.

            The _miko_ stopped in the doorway of the shrine and turned to face them. With a grave expression she spoke, "Bad things happen when the possessed do not get their way. At first it was little things, voices were raised, small objects were broken, families were disgraced by the acts of their unmarried children. As the curse continued the terrible occurrences grew in severity. Houses were burned, fiancés were killed, and shrines were desecrated. If I had let you two go off on your own my entire village could have been destroyed in less than five minutes. The fire cat tried to stop you last night and was unsuccessful, there is no possible way that anyone else would have been able to." Sango and Miroku's eyes lowered from her face as she turned to go in. Letting her words sink in a little Miroku's gaze fell upon his right hand. 

            Shippou sheepishly turned and said, "I tried not to let her attack you too hard," and then scurried on his way after the old woman. 

            Miroku's gaze did not waver upon Shippou's speech. A shudder passed through him as he thought of the damage he could have done last night. His thoughts were broken by a slender hand that filled his. Miroku looked up to see Sango standing next to him, "I could have hurt them too, you know," she averted their gazes to her _hiraikotsu_ leaning against the doorframe inside the shrine. "But we didn't. And we'll figure this out so that no one else will be put in that position ever again." Miroku nodded, clasping his hands around hers before letting go and following her inside.

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Author's Dictionary:

Jiin: A Buddhist Temple. 

Author's Notes:

It folklore kitsunes are known to be tricksters. They not only shape shift as Shippou does, but they have a tendancy to shape shift into young women. That's why the villagers first thought Kagome might be a kitsune in the anime. One thing most people don't realize is that kitsunes often possess young girls as a way to cause mischief. The girls are like observers in their own body and are conscious of everything as it happens around them, just incapable of breaking free from the kitsunes control. Most kitsunes you will read stories about that do possess or shape shift into young women are males. 

I am sooooo sorry that it took so long for me to update. I had the first section written before I even posted the second chapter but it was only three pages long and I wanted more from my chapter but I was having a bad case of writer's block combined with school work, and being cast as the lead in a school play, and… and… thus I practically abandoned my story for a few weeks, gomen! Thought about it but never got around to doing anything with it. This has actually been completed for a little while now…I decided to cut off the following scene that I wrote and break it into two chapters so I can post faster.  That and this one was WAFF-y enough for two.

I also want to note that I am truly honored and flattered to have been nominated for Sango-sama's yahoo group's October polls. I honestly didn't know that I had been nominated until Queen told me about it three hours ago during voting…actually it all stemmed from receiving my last two reviews. Hey when the reviews show up in my mailbox I remember that I still have a story to finish… so review often if you think I've forgotten about the fic… or just drop me a line saying, "Yo! Mina wake up! Hurry up and finish writing so that you can post!" 

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"A foreboding darkness shall settle upon this village by the rise of the next moon…"

Coming up in Chapter Five: The Cause

"Oh my…" Sango spoke absentmindedly looking over her companion's shoulder. "Houshi-sama, I think I found the…cause."

Turning around Miroku came face to face with a dark shadowy substance that grew before their eyes. Slowly it began to take form. Starting at the ground it formed a pair of huge feet, followed by thick legs, and then a torso and arms and a head… as its shape became clearer Miroku and Sango realized it was nearly 8 feet tall. "I think it's starting to solidify."

"You can say that again, but what is it? Or should I say how many?" she asked as they took a few steps back together to give them fighting room. Before Miroku could respond—before the creature had fully taken form—it lashed one of its clawed arms out and made contact with the _houshi_. Hitting Miroku square in the chest, it sent the pair flying…


	6. The Premonition

Disclaimer: I clearly own no rights to Inu-yasha seeing as how he's quite absent from this story. Oh and I don't own the rights to Inu-Yasha, the story… those belong to the lovely Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Note: In case you forgot in the, how many months has it been, two going on three since I last updated—bad me, bad finals, bad holiday retail work—this is a sequel to another story I wrote called _Sango's Ordeal_. If you haven't read it, but have read the previous four chapters and didn't get lost in the prologue, you'll survive Chapter Five as well, but you're missing out on a whole lot of bat-youkai action and should read it when you're through here… it's fun. 

**Miroku's Worst Fear** Chapter Five: The Premonition 

            "The ceremony occurred in this very shrine. It happened a little more than fifty years ago now, but I remember it clearly. I was a shrine maiden then and as such helped the visiting _miko_ with her preparations." The old woman walked over to a cabinet and gently opened both sides together. Inside the cabinet various herbs and incense lined the shelves and dried flowers hung upside down from metal spikes near the top of the cabinet. She removed a jar from the back corner held it up for the others to see. "This is what remains of the original flowers that were spread to purify the village." The airtight jar contained remnants of white petals and a cream colored powder that had formed at the bottom. "We've kept them originally as a reminder of the past hardships, but now that hard times have befallen our village again we look at these petals as a symbol of hope." She placed the jar in Sango's outstretched hand. 

            "I've never seen flowers that were so well preserved before," Sango commented letting Shippou look at the jar. 

            "Nor have I, Taiji-ya-san. Yet they've remained whole for the past fifty years. I've always thought it had more to do with the _miko_ who performed the purification ritual than our preservation capabilities." The elderly woman removed a few sticks of incense from the shelf and then turned back towards the doorway. "She stood here, lit three sticks of incense from one white candle and then proceeded to place them in the ground at three points in front of the _jinja_." The woman pointed to three places just beyond the steps. "She chanted the same three words over and over again as she did this, and then she took the flowers and crushed them in her hands removing the petals before throwing them out in a circle around the incense. She would later repeat this for every home in the village." The woman turned back into the shrine and replaced the incense before taking another object into her hands. 

            "That couldn't have been the entire purification ritual," Shippou began to protest. 

            "That was just to purify the land. She then sent up an offering to the _kami_ to purify any wrongdoings we had committed unknowingly."

            "An offering?" Miroku asked, "It wasn't by chance some kind of animal was it?"

            "Actually yes, a pair of white birds was sacrificed in fire at the shrine altar."

            "Birds?" Sango asked under her breath. Miroku looked at her and shook his head. 

            "Of course she brought these birds with her for the purposes of the ritual."

            "That's right you used rabbits last night," Shippou chimed in.

            "Rabbits?" Miroku asked reaching out for the old woman's shoulder. "What other kinds of animals have you sacrificed for these weddings?"

            "Well that depends on the season. Sometimes we use birds but usually it's easier to catch ferrets and weasels on short notice. We've used rabbits and foxes before, as well." On this last statement Shippou took a step away from the old _miko_. 

Miroku's mind was racing, "What procedures do you follow in obtaining and sacrificing these creatures?"

As if she been insulted by the question the old woman spun around to face him, "We take proper measures to ensure that these animals are well treated up to the time of the sacrifice and then follow the most sacred ritual in taking their lives. I assure you we do not take killing these animals lightly." And with that she turned and continued walking and explaining the ceremony.

"The couple walks together from the _torii_, until they reach the front of the _jinja_. Then they stop and wait for the priest or priestess to say a few words over them before they enter the shrine followed by their family. Everyone then takes part in the _san-san-ku-do_ ritual and vows are spoken. When the ceremony is complete we escort the newlyweds to the inn where a bridal chamber has been prepared for them." 

            Sango shuddered a little, "Okay… enough about the newlyweds. What courses do you take in cleaning the shrine afterwards? In the burial of the animals?"                       

            When Sango said this Miroku's eyes lit up. "That's it! Can you show us the memorial shrine for the sacrificed animals?"

            Meanwhile, in a small shack in the woods Haruko sat at the table while Rika finished preparing their afternoon meal. "Do I really have to go back?"

            Haruko sighed, "Rika, we can't stay here."

            "I know," she said placing a pot on the table. "But I don't see why I can't just go with you to the city."

            "Because the town needs you," Haruko said taking some of the food into his bowl. "      You're the next _miko_, and if this curse continues you'll be the only _miko_ we have."

            Rika shook her head, "Ruko, I'm not going to be the next _miko_. I realized last night that I wouldn't be happy with just anyone, and the curse knows that too. It passed through me on its way into the room. When it moved on for a mere second, as if trying to decide who to take, I ran as fast as I could before it could return. My heart led me here, to you. Haruko, I think I'm in love with you."

            Haruko snorted a little, "Who isn't."

            "I'm serious. I'm in love with you. Not your family standings, or your samurai status, or any of that glamour, but you, Haruko." She lowered her gaze to her hands. "I love you, and I think I always have."

            Haruko almost choked on his food as she concluded her profession, "But why? I've been nothing but rotten to you."

            "Who hasn't?" she said looking up. "But in reality, you're the only one who sees me for who I am and not who I should be or even could be. You know they all started to give me this fake respect when the _miko_ appointed me as her apprentice, but I could see it in their eyes. They still hated me and were only allowing this to happen for two reasons. There was no one else, and if I were a _miko_, then their sons would be safe from me."

            "You brought that upon yourself you know."

            "Haruko…" she said evenly, "I was ten. Is it my fault that the best way to get back at mean boys who think all girls have cooties is to kiss them?" 

            "You never kissed me," Haruko said leaning on the table.

            Rika smiled, "I may have been naïve, but I wasn't suicidal."

            Haruko smiled at her and Rika put her weight on the table. Slowly the two began leaning in towards each other until their lips met ever so briefly. Pulling away Rika blushed, "I'm not so naïve in the ways of the world any more, but…" she trailed off looking at her hands that were folded in her lap. 

            Haruko sighed inwardly, '_I know exactly what you mean,_' he picked up his _ohashi_ and began eating. "Mmm, this is really good," he said changing the subject. Rika raised her head and smiled as she watched him eat. Not long after she joined him and they turned to more frivolous conversations. 

**~**

            _'Is this it?'_ Miroku thought staring at the small dilapidated building in the far back corner of the shrine grounds. Wood was piled up along side the building with an axe propped against the smallest pile.  

            "It looks like a woodshed," Sango whispered to him.

            "This explains a lot," Miroku whispered back. They nodded in agreement. 

            Shippou looked at the elderly _miko_ and smiled. "We'll have this problem fixed for you in no time. By this time tomorrow your village will be curse free," he said before bounding over to Miroku and Sango. Alighting to the space between their shoulders he sat for a moment and cleared his throat. "I have deducted the cause of this curse."

            Sango and Miroku turned to look at him. In the background the _miko_ could be seen leaving the scene. 

            "That building is the location of the sacrificed animals and their spirits are not happy and thus have been possessing the villagers at random as a way to get back at them. Now that I have done my part, you two can go in there and straighten things out with the spirits and break this curse," and with that he popped down and scurried off. 

            Sango and Miroku turned to look at each other and blinked twice before turning their attention back to the problem at hand. 

            The _houshi_ raised his hand to get a reading on the shed, "An evil aura surrounds this entire area," Miroku said lowering his hand. He glanced sideways at Sango.

            "We should get our weapons," she said turning to go back to the shrine house where they left them. 

            She stopped in her tracks mid-turn when she saw a shadow forming behind them. "Houshi-sama…" 

            "Sango! Look out!" Miroku said knocking her to the ground. Over his shoulder she saw an axe breeze through the air. Looking up along the ground Sango saw that they were surrounded by this dense, black shadow. "Perhaps we should have taken a page from Shippou's book and ran while we had the chance," Miroku said just inches from her face. The world beyond them was growing darker by the minute.

**~**

            Rika and Haruko were walking back to their village. The time was about mid-afternoon. As they came upon the outskirts of the village they noticed a dense black fog that began sweeping through the streets. 

            "Darkness will cover the village before the rise of the next moon…" Rika whispered.

            "What?" Haruko asked from her side.

            "It's what the _miko_ said. She said that by the rise of the next moon the village would be cloaked in an unnatural darkness."

            "Does she ever say anything good is going to happen to this village?" Haruko said placing a hand to his sword. Rika smiled finding the humor in his seriousness. 

            As they reached the outer most row of houses the blackness formed a circle around the village and would not permit the couple entrance into it. Haruko drew his sword. "What are you going to do? Cut the fog?"

**~**

            "Do you have a better idea?" Sango said having retrieved the fallen axe. Miroku was standing back to back with her watching as the darkness closed in around them. His left hand rested on his rosary. Sango heard the rosary rustle, "Are you insane? If you use that in here you have no idea what is beyond the shadow that you could be getting too."

            Miroku sighed, "I know, but what are we supposed to do? Let it close in on us and possess us again?" 

            Sango didn't respond as she swung out against the surrounding cloud. 

            "Sango, this is useless. It's getting too dark to see anything, if we stay here much longer it's going to consume us."

            "Don't you think I know that?!"

            Just as darkness filled their vision and the light of the day could no longer be seen, a flicker of light appeared within their unprotected circle. The flames grew brighter just a few feet away. A roar came from the direction of the light and Sango looked over. "Kirara!"

            The fire cat bounded over to her companions and helped bat at the shadows, hissing and growling at them the whole time. "Great, Kirara has arrived just in time to die with us," Miroku frowned. "If I could just get to my staff, I could set up a barrier." 

            "It's what two buildings away?" Sango said formulating a plan.

            "Yeah…" Miroku prodded. 

            "You can't open the _kazaana_, because we don't know where the buildings are, but…" Sango smiled, "…we do know where the buildings aren't." Her eyes glanced upward and then back at Kirara. 

            "Sango, you're a genius," Miroku commented as they mounted the cat _youkai_. 

            "All right Kirara, Miroku's going to clear a path for you, all you need to do is take us to the shrine house, okay?"

            "Marr," Kirara roared in agreement. 

            "Now, are you sure that we won't be in any danger riding this close to you?" Sango asked.

            Miroku raised an eyebrow at her as if to say, _'What? You've been closer to me than this and I haven't sucked you up yet.'_ He was about to comment to the like when he realized that she was speaking for the benefit of the shadows that didn't know how his void worked. "It'll be dangerous and a little bit risky, but it's better to die quickly this way then to be taken over by these angry beasts again," he said loudly. Then leaning closer he whispered, "Of course we'd really be in trouble if I fell off, perhaps you should hold on to me."

            "Houshi-sama…" Sango glared.  

            "I was being serious," Miroku said ever so quietly. 

            "Alright, let's go!" Sango called out urging Kirara into the air as Miroku raised his right palm to the sky. 

            "Forgive me…" Miroku whispered to the shadows as he removed the rosary with his left hand and the _kazaana_ opened sucking in the shadows between them and the sunlight. 

            Working like a charm, the shadows that hadn't been sucked in with the initial opening of the _kazaana_ retreated in fear. Kirara had no problem finding the shrine house while the shadows were spreading to the outer parts of the village and away from the shrine. Miroku replaced his rosary but kept his hand poised in a threatening manner just in case any of the shadows were to come back. Once they had landed the three of them scurried inside to see Shippou hiding behind Sango's _hiraikotsu_. "What took you guys so long?" 

            Sango and Miroku ignored Shippou's question as they prepared for a fight. Lifting the satchel from behind her weapon Sango removed her battle armor and began changing. Grabbing his _shakujou_, Miroku turned his back to her and peered out the door. Noticing that the shadows were returning, he turned back to help Sango place all of her weapons and guards in their correct positions as quickly as possible. "I can do this on my own." 

            "Yes, I know, but we're running out of time," Miroku said tying her shoulder guard in place. "We still have to get back to the desecrated burial grounds before they return."

            "Alright, I'm ready," Sango paused, "Houshi-sama, my rear will be perfectly protected without your hand on it."

            "Sorry," he said removing his hand, "Just in case we don't make it." With those words he headed out the door staff in hand. Sango sighed, shook her head and dashed out after him. 

            They raced through the shrine grounds. As soon as their feet hit the dirt, the shadows began to quicken their return knowing that their existence was in danger. Running as hard as they could they fought past the cloud of darkness that moved almost twice as fast as they did, just seconds before their path was barred by the shadows Miroku and Sango entered the little burial shrine and shut the door behind them. 

            Breathing hard they paused to catch their breath. Miroku looked up and his face paled at the sight. Tapping Sango he gestured. "Wha…?" she began turning around. Before them stood a form that was not quite solid and not pure shadow. It could only be classified as a wraith, it had the shape of a giant animal though not one species but many all at once, and its consistency was made of thick gray fog so think one could touch it. 

            "The source of the shadows?"

            "That'd be my guess."

**~**

            Haruko and Rika fought their way through the fog as it changed locations. Making their way back to his home they found his family and their neighbors cowering behind his younger brother with his sword drawn. "Jiiro, what are you going to do? Cut the fog?" Haruko said as he assessed the situation. Rika rolled her eyes and shook her head before finally smiling. 

            "You've come home! You've come home to fight this demon!" Jiiro said.

            "To break this curse," his wife Sachi echoed.

            In a matter of seconds knocks came at the front and back doors. Before they could even be opened by members of the family, townspeople began to flood in all clamoring something about seeing that Haruko had returned after fighting his way through the evil mists. "Haruko will save us," one villager exclaimed. "He's untouchable by this curse. Surely, we will be safe here," another rumored. 

            Haruko sighed and looked at Rika, apparently their news would have to wait until after he'd gone back out and fought with this darkness. Haruko opened the door and returned to the outside world that was growing darker by the minute. He walked out into the shadows with his katana raised. _'This is pointless,'_ he thought. _'I couldn't fight off the shadows before, we got through because they lifted for a few minutes,'_ he sighed. He turned back to see that he'd lost sight of his father's house. _'Great. Now, what was the reasoning behind me not getting possessed by this?'_

            As he ventured further into the darkness he heard a rustle behind him. Listening to find the source he turned in its direction. Then he heard another as the shadows began to knock things over until he was so turned around he didn't know which way was which. Really confused as to which way to turn next Haruko decided to stand perfectly still and focus his attention until he could finally recognize something. _'It would help if I'd actually lived here the past few years…' _he thought looking for familiarities in the ground and sides of homes that he could still see. Focusing all his senses on his teachings he began to isolate a steady sound directly behind him. Footfalls. Whoever or whatever they belonged to grew closer and closer. Counting down as the being neared he prepared himself to strike first, hoping that whatever beast this was couldn't see through the fog… 

            One… 

            Footfalls at two feet.

            Two…

            Footfalls at one foot.

            Three…

            He turned to find his katana inches from Rika's none to pleased face. 

            Haruko relaxed his stance, "What are you doing out here?"

            "About thirty seconds after you left, someone had the brilliant idea that I, as a _miko_-in-training should be out here to give you some magical assistance."

            "Do you even know anything about magical assistance?"

            "Wouldn't you like to know…"

**~**

            "So how long will this barrier hold?" Sango breathed as the beast slashed out at them again. 

            "As long as I do…" Miroku spoke through clenched teeth. Holding his _shakujou_ parallel before him, he had created a small blueish-purple barrier around the two of them. "It's really angry and can materialize quite well…"

            Sango rolled her eyes. This she knew…

They entered the room. The darkness had consumed the world behind them, but here in the candlelit room they were not safe. Before them towered a beast like none other. Its head had the shape of a weasel's with rabbit ears, its body was large and foxlike, it had claws like a kappa that were sometimes retractable like a cat's, and a tail that was long and narrow. This form lasted about two minutes until its shape shifted and its tail was now rabbitlike, its claws weasel, its body that of a cat, and its head became badgerlike while its ears became pointy like a fox's. It was an ever-changing creature and at first Sango and Miroku could only stare, then in one heartbeat they went from staring to fighting. The beast struck first, knocking the couple back with a swipe of its claws. Miroku positioned himself to take the blunt of the blow and his robes were torn. Blood began to flow beneath them before he and Sango had hit the opposite wall of that small shack. Sango pushed her way forward charging only for the creature to backhand her into the front wall, cutting her right sleeve open in the process. Receiving the backside of a blow her cuts were shallow, she stood again to attack when Miroku jumped in front of her and put up his barrier. "We need to keep away from its claws," Miroku always had a way of stating the obvious. 

She was shaken from her annoyed reverie when Miroku collapsed to his knees in front of her. "Houshi-sama?"

            "Sango…something's wrong." Miroku began to shake uncontrollably beneath the weight of the massive beast. "It's _jaki_ is intense…more intense than it should be."

            "It's probably being multiplied by its anger, we have to appease the animals to weaken this evil." Sango said supporting the _houshi_ in her arms. Miroku nodded. "Okay. I'll distract it long enough for you to get over to those bones," she pointed to a back corner opposite from where they had been initially thrown. As Sango whispered her plan into Miroku's ear, he tried to protest, but she was gone before he could breathe out a word. 

            Sango dashed forward expecting a swipe which she deflected with her _hiraikotsu_. Positioning herself on the opposite side of the room from Miroku, she began her attack. She swung at the creature with all of her force and made contact knocking it back a few times. 

Miroku climbed uneasily to his feet and began to edge around the beast towards the back corner. There were bones everywhere; they had just been dumped into piles along the back wall. The biggest pile was in the corner by a small wooden fixture that looked as if it could have been a sad attempt at a shrine to a few small animals, but not hundreds of wild, enraged, and slaughtered beasts.  Miroku slunk along the back of the little room, careful not to disturb any of the scattered bones and not to make any noise to give away his position. 

Sango continued to battle with the beast, after the first few hits it got wise to her and was prepared for her next swing. The _hiraikotsu_ went right through its body without leaving any damage. The creature had softened its composure back to fog and Sango could do no more damage to it, but when it wanted to lash out at her it was as solid as a rock. Using her weapon as a shield she managed to hold the beast off long enough for Miroku to get with in feet of the makeshift burial shrine. She smiled at their would be triumph when she realized that the beast was completely unaware of his advancement. Her victory was short lived when the creature's claws gripped her boomerang and pulled it into the air. Sango let the _hiraikotsu_ leave her grasp as its other hand scooped her out of the air. Pulling her sword from its sheath she began stabbing at the beasts forearm, but the blade went right through it. 

Miroku was less than three feet from his goal when he heard Sango scream out in surprise. Her _hiraikotsu_ clattered to the ground across the room and she was lifted into the air. Miroku watched her fight back to no avail. The beasts claws wrapped around her like a vice squeezing her body and tearing into her flesh at the same time. Looking at her face he could tell that she wanted to scream out in pain but wouldn't give the creature that kind of satisfaction. Miroku forgot about his goal and turned away from the small shrine to take a swing at the being. Its attention directed towards Sango it didn't notice the _houshi's_ attack before it felt it. Miroku's _shakujou_ swung true and smacked into the beast's knee area knocking it off balance. The creature roared out as it turned back to see the _houshi_ near its home. Forgetting entirely about Sango in its grasps the creature released her when she stabbed into its arm. 

Falling to the ground, Sango landed on her feet but her knees gave out on her after five seconds of standing. Apparently she had been bleeding more than she realized and that added to the exposure of this creature's intense and enflamed _jaki_ made her weaker than she needed to be to fight. Collecting herself, Sango stood and bore through the pain. Picking up her _wakizashi_ she lunged for the creature from her side while Miroku continued to fight it off on the other. The creature not pleased with either's advance created a unique solution of its own. Its ever-changing body morphed once again so that now the beast had two heads, one to direct towards each attacker. 

            The first of the two heads kept Sango cornered. With one hand the beast continued to fight her and keep her from reaching her larger weapon. The other head, which was more enraged, was focused on Miroku. Upon realizing that it had let the _houshi_ get so close to its core the beast began attacking with a fury it had not yet unleashed. Miroku who was already bleeding profusely beneath his robes fought back to the best of his ability. Sango unable to help watched in horror as the beast ripped apart Miroku's robes and tossed his now battered body into the back corner opposite the shrine. Miroku not yet down for the count returned to his feet, _shakujou_ outstretched before him. As he swung out the beast used its technique of avoiding the blows to allow the _shakujou_ to pass through its body. However no matter how hard the beast tried to avoid injury, every passing of the _houshi's_ staff stung it a little. Realizing that this intruder had the power to purify it made Miroku a bigger threat. In a final ditch effort the beast knocked Miroku back into the wall, breaking a few of the scattered animal bones in the process. Twitching in pain as the bones broke the beast continued its torrent. When Miroku no longer rose to his feet and blood pooled out around him, the beast was satisfied and returned its full attention to Sango. 

            Sango screamed out in pain for the first time that night. Not because the creature was hurting her but because as far as one could tell Miroku was lying in the corner lifeless. To come this far and then too loose him in just one day was too much for her to bear. Pulling from the deepest parts of her being, she called forth every ounce of strength she had left. Cutting into the beast with all of her rage it recoiled at first but then relaxed as it had learned to do. Sango continued to advance despite the fact that she was not bringing harm to her adversary. She pushed forward with one goal in mind: to reach Miroku. If the beast was going to be fog for her blade then she could walk through it behind the blade as long as she kept swinging. That was her rationale, at least. And for the most part it was working the beast was not any wiser to her plan. Or so she thought; once Sango was completely encased in the shadowy figure of the creature it tensed and hardened so that she could not move her _wakizashi_ if she tried. Sango couldn't move forward or back; she was trapped._ 'I should have seen this coming,'_ she thought as a burning sensation hit her lungs. Being encased in the beast was like being encased in stone, no air could reach her, and she was slowly suffocating.

            Sango's body began to spasm uncontrolled as asphyxiation began to take place. The world around her was growing dark, this time because of something internal and not the shadows around her. Just as she was about to close her eyes and loose consciousness, the beast writhed in agony and split into a hundred little shadows of individual animals. As air hit her lungs again she collapsed to the floor taking it in painfully. Looking up she saw Miroku's outstretched arm fall to the bones again, but his eyes did not close right away. She crawled her way over to him to find two remaining _ofuda_ clutched in his other hand. Turning back to look at the beast she saw a weasel's form drop from the air where the creature's head had been, an _ofuda_ plastered to its head. Here she was trying to save him when in the end he saved her, and not a moment too soon. 

            "Houshi…sa…ma…" Sango breathed between gasps.

            Miroku lifted his head to look at her, "_Daijoubu darou_," he whispered. 

            Sango nodded and cradled his head in her lap as he closed his eyes again. 

            The beast regrouped all but its one member and began charging towards the couple again. Sango looked up and held out her hand, "NO!" she screamed out. Tears streaming down her face she continued, "why are you doing this? We don't want to fight you. We want to help you." Sango stroked back Miroku's hair from his face, before wiping away her tears. The beast stopped and looked at her more confused by her actions than her words. In the past husbands, wives, or couples approached the shrine to destroy the bones of the beast that cursed them. Angry for their predicament they approached the beast and fled in fear at the sight of it. The braver came away with gouges and returned home to their new spouses for comfort. Never in all its years had this beast seen a couple willing to die for each other and more upset at the other's pain than their own. This was also the first time that a priest, priestess, or monk had entered the shrine save the old _miko_ who added the animals to the piles. 

**~**

            Haruko and Rika had finally reached the shrine grounds together to find the elderly _miko_ in her chambers idly sipping some tea. The _miko_ seemed surprised to see that these two had returned to the village but not as surprised as when Haruko drew his katana on her and ordered her to explain her actions. Rika and he were convinced that she was somehow behind this whole mess. The _miko_ returned to her tea sipping once he was finished accusing her. "What's done is done; what will be has come," she said cryptically. 

            "Just what in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Rika got down to look her in the face. 

            Before the _miko_ could answer Shippou and Kirara bounded into the little hut and rushed over to the herbal cabinet. Standing on Kirara's back Shippou opened the cupboard and pulled out a few things before the two headed back out into the midday light. **_'Wait a minute,'_** Haruko thought following their actions. They had just fought their way through pitch-blackness and now it was afternoon again? Following the furry pair out of the shrine house Rika and Haruko found themselves being lead to a small building on the back of the grounds. Inside the _taiji-ya_ was applying bandages to the _houshi_. The small _kitsune_ and the _neko-youkai_ had returned with medicinal herbs as well as ceremonial ones that the humans had requested. In a matter of minutes, the _houshi_ was on his feet again being supported by his wife, and the couple said a prayer for the bodies and bones of what appeared to be a hundred animals. 

After a moment of silence they turned to look at the couple that was still staring in silence. "You could help us bury them properly, if you like," Sango said leaving Miroku to support himself with his staff. 

"We still have a bit of purification to do in here, but we'll take all the assistance we can get," Shippou said handing each of them a stick of burning incense. 

**~**

            Hours later just before sunset, a new, larger shrine had been constructed to the animals. Their bodies and bones blessed and buried. Sango hand changed back into her travel clothes, Miroku's robes had been sewn back together by the village women, Shippou and Kirara waited patiently for them to return. Shippou's face had fallen because none of the village people would listen to his story. When they saw Haruko and Rika emerge from the shrine once the shadows had cleared, they all assumed that Haruko had saved them. Once again the golden boy of the town had proven himself to be golden. He wasn't sure how much longer it would last once he told them all why they had returned. 

            Miroku, Sango, Haruko, Rika and the _miko_ stood at the foot of the shrine steps. 

            "What in the world made you come back here?" Miroku asked.

            "Well…" Haruko smiled.

            "We've decided to get married," Rika finished.

            "Wha…?" the old _miko_ said loosing her composure for a moment. 

            "We figured that the curse couldn't do us wrong if we were the only ones left…"

            "…and that somehow we wouldn't let it. You see we figured that if we had a normal courtship followed by a ceremony of free will that we would break this curse." 

            "I guess you guys beat us to it," Haruko said sheepishly.

            Sango smiled and looked back at Shippou, "It's what we do, apparently."

            Rika laughed a little knowing what she meant and walked over to the little _kitsune_ to try and cheer him up. 

            "So what would you have done if the curse got a hold of you anyway?" the _miko_ asked once Rika was gone.

            "Nothing. I don't know why you put up with it all these years. People have been doing worse things of their own power for years. I don't think that any of these marriages are valid seeing as how both parties were being controlled. So even if that had happened, Rika and I planned to see our arrangements through to the very end. Even if it meant marrying her a hundred times," Haruko laughed at the thought.

            "You know, it doesn't matter what those people think," Rika said approaching the pair of _youkai_. "We know that it was your brains and their abilities that saved this village and not ours, and more importantly you know it. In years to come it will be the people that you know and care about that will know the truth." When this didn't seem to be enough she continued, "And the people here… the people here will have found a new person to worship, go on with their lives happily with their children and grandchildren, and deny that a curse ever existed. And do you know why?"

            "Why?" Shippou asked looking at the dirt. 

            "Because you saved them," Rika said kneeling to look him in the eye. "Not some magical prince returned home with his golden sword, not some powerful _miko_ with her arrows of justice, but a group of travelers lead by one fearless little _kitsune_. I'll be sure my children know the true story and pass it on," she winked. 

            Shippou smiled at this a little happier than he had been. Miroku and Sango approached with odd looks on their faces. When Rika turned around they put on phony smiles and said, "We should get going."

            "We want to make it back to Kaede's village by nightfall."

            Rika nodded stepping aside. She watched in amazement as the four strangers that had freed their village flew off into the distance with a metal contraption with wheels in tow. 

            "What's wrong with you two?" Shippou asked a little perturbed by the silence. Miroku and Sango each picked a spot in opposing distances to stare at. "Is this because you're married and you don't want to tell Kagome and Inu-yasha?" At that their heads shot up and their faces took on an ashen complexion. "Don't tell me you forgot," Shippou said shaking his head. 

            In truth they didn't forget at all. Each was more concerned with Haruko's last comment and contemplating the validity of their marriage, neither sure how the other felt and neither willing to ask. However, the prospect of telling the others had not yet crossed their minds. 

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Author's Dictionary:

Torii: the archway outside of a Shinto shrine, usually depicted as red.

San-san-ku-do: Literally it translates as "three sets of three sips equals nine," or something like that… the practicality of this term is it's a process that couples and their family members perform during a wedding where each person drinks three sips of sake from three different cups signifying the union of families. 

Ohashi: chopsticks. (with an honorific O, yea isn't it special!)

Kappa: a mythological creature that lives in the water, Jii-chan gave Kagome a Kappa hand for her birthday back in the very, very first Chapter of the series. And in the third or fourth people referred to her as a Kappa all because she took swimming lessons.

Jaki: ja (evil) + ki (energy) = evil energy. This is usually what Miroku douses four when searching out evil. Or what he pretends to douse for when searching out a good place to stay for the night.

Ofuda: the little slips of paper with writing on them that miko's, houshi's, etc. use to ward off evil. 

"Daijoubu darou": Well I've already defined Daijoubu as "I'm (It's) alright." Darou is simply the probable ending… meaning that he "Will be…" So effectively Houshi-sama said, "I'll be alright." (Or at least that's what I was shooting for… if I'm wrong buy me a grammar book and highlight the page that says so [you know so I can find it, dogearing the pages works too] if I'm right, yea me… anyway… now at least you know what I meant for him to be saying.)

Author's notes: 

            Ooooh… I found a spelling mistake that I made back in Chapter two. I called Sango's short sword a wakizashu instead of a wakizashi like I did in this chapter. Many people misspell it in this manner but the second is actually correct. 

            Hmm… should I define the process of san-san-ku-do better here… or in the next chapter? I think I'll wait… get this chapter up sooner, ne? Yes… I did say next chapter… this does seem kind of final… so we've broken the "curse" and left the village… but do things seem to be over between Sango and Miroku? And just what would Inuyasha and Kagome say when and if they find out what happened while they were gone? "I swear, we leave you alone for just three days and look at the mess you get yourselves into." (Okay, enough motherly Shippou imitations…)

            I realize that at the end of Chapter Four… I listed a Preview for Chapter Five: The Curse or whatever lame name I gave it. At that time I hadn't written anything, which is why you won't find that scene word for word in this chapter… yet strangely enough that scene is pretty close to what I actually did write and I hadn't gone back to look at my Author's Notes until after I was finished and ready to post this Chapter. Weird. Huh.

            Um… I want to apologize profusely to all of those who have been patiently waiting for me to update, and thank you all for not loosing interest. The first gap between chapters occurred because I was playing the main character in a play, this one could only be excused due to writer's block, followed by a severe case of finals and research papers and then holiday work schedules… this past week whenever I wasn't in school or at work I wrote a scene… and look… a week later it's ready to be updated. Hopefully the next chapter will work out that way too, though honestly…it'll probably be at least two for me to re-look up all the research I did for this scene back in September. 

            Okay that being said… review now… and tell me that you'd like me to email you when I update and I will. I'd also like to thank Shannon for pestering me over the past few months so that I wouldn't forget to write. Oh and to thank Sango-sama and celestina becerra for helping Princess find my stories when she couldn't remember the titles. Umm… and to Queen for everything, especially telling me to read my sango/miroku updates so that I know I've been nominated for something or that someone is out there looking for my stuff (I would have responded, but I figured three responses, two with the answer seemed like enough.) 

Now what we've all been waiting for… the fake preview, for the fakely titled upcoming chapter. Well no… this is it's title… and … we'll you'll just have to wait until next week to find out if this is in it!

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Coming up in Chapter Six: The Wedding

Sango was sitting off by herself when Kagome approached.

"Sango-chan, what's wrong?" she said sitting beside her friend.

Sango turned to her revealing hot tear trails on her cheeks. "Have you ever been so involved in something that you couldn't see it until someone else showed it to you?"

"Um…I think so. Or at least I know what you mean. Sango?"

"I've fallen in love with the most hopeless excuse for a boyfriend let alone a husband and it took being possessed by distraught animals for me to realize it."

"Well… at least now you know how you feel, right?"

Sango laughed a little, "Yes, but what if you find out that he doesn't feel the same way back?"

"Oh come now, Sango, that can't be true. Take it from an outsiders perspective."

"Then why doesn't he want to marry me?"

"What?" Kagome suddenly realized she had no idea what was going on in Sango's mind. "You want to be married to Miroku?"

"I didn't at first, but now the more that I think about it I can't just forget it happened. Which is exactly what he wants, but I can't. And yet…I can't remember it either."

"Sou ka," Kagome said smiling.  

"What?" Sango said finally coming to recognize Kagome's 'I've-got-a-plan-tone.'

"Don't worry, leave everything to me," Kagome said getting up and leaving Sango bewildered. 


	7. The Plan

_Disclaimer_: Rumiko Takahashi owns _Inuyasha_ not me, 'nuf said.

_Author's Notes_: I bow down at your feet and beg forgiveness for my…lateness doesn't even begin to cover it…laziness is more like it. Okay...if you've gotten as far as Chapter 6, and haven't picked up on the fact that this is a sequel then you must not read these little blurbs, and therefore my writing it again will have no effect. Read on. 

**Miroku's Worst Fear** Chapter Six: The Plan 

            "What do you mean, I should stop going to school?" Kagome asked pushing herself out of the well.

            "We could travel farther if we didn't have to keep coming back here and faster if you did bring so many books," Inuyasha commented pulling himself and her backpack out after her.

            "You're just upset because I had to leave a whole case of instant ramen at home to make room for my books," Kagome said taking her rucksack from him. 

            "Feh," Inu-yasha retorted. 

            As they walked back to Kaede's village, Shippou ran out to meet them. "You will never guess what happened to us!" he exclaimed as he led them back to the shrine.  "We decided to walk back instead of flying and we met this girl whose village was cursed."

            "Cursed?" Kagome asked.

            "Yeah, it was great!" Shippou said.

            "Great? Were they cursed with too much sweets and you ate them free?"

            "No. Actually it was some supernatural curse where people would be possessed by the spirits of animals and end up getting married against their will. But it's okay because I found the place where the animals were buried. And after Sango and Miroku fought off this huge evil spirit, Miroku gave them a proper burial ceremony and we constructed a shrine to the animals," Shippou chattered on. 

            "Married against their will?" Kagome asked as Inu-yasha asked, "How big was this 'evil spirit'?" 

            Shippou nodded to Kagome and began to describe the fog, the shadows, and the creature with his natural story-telling flair. Every once in a while you would hear Inu-yasha grunt at something Shippou said. Kagome spotted her bike leaning up against a wall and left the boys to their discussion. 

She set her bag down beside the bike and pulled out a small rectangular box, a yellow tube with a handle on one end and a needle on the other, and a small gray case. Opening the case she pulled out a wrench and began to remove the bolt that held her front wheel in place. From her vantage point on the ground she saw Sango enter one of the rooms. Sango didn't notice her at all though, which she thought was a little odd, but she shrugged a little and went back to work. Pulling the rubber tire off the rim she removed the deflated inner tube. Next she located the rectangular box and opened it pulling out a new tube. Fitting it inside the rubber tire, she placed both back on the wheel. Next she picked up the yellow tube stood. Placing the tire between her feet she put the needle end of the tube into an opening in the rubber tire. Pulling the handle up and pushing it back down Kagome began to inflate the inner tube with air. Looking up one more time she saw Sango emerge from the room with a half awake and half dressed Miroku on her heels. In his hand he held a slip of white paper; yawning, he followed Sango to Kaede's house. Kagome frowned a little, _'I wonder what's going on,'_ she thought.  Placing her wheel back on her bike as quickly as she could, she headed off towards Kaede's house. 

"Kaede-sama," Sango called out entering the little house, "we were wondering if…"

"Yes?"

"…if you could assess this for us," Miroku said handing her the crumpled slip of paper. "We found it hanging outside our room one morning, but have no recollection of the night's events."

"Hmm…" the older woman began unfolding the paper, "you have no memory of that night at all?"

Sango blushed a little, her head down but her eyes were cast on Miroku. "Well…"

"None," Miroku said assuredly, cutting Sango off before she said something they'd both regret. 

            "Hm… the paper has been exposed to hot springs and then improperly dried."

            "How can you tell?" Sango asked leaning in. 

            "Well you can tell it was wet by the smudged words and it reeks of sulfur," she smiled. "It will be hard to decipher all of the words." 

            "Maybe I can help," a voice came from the doorway.

            "Yes. Perhaps younger eyes would be better suited for this task," Kaede commented to the new arrival.

            "Kagome-chan, I didn't realize you had returned," Sango said edging her way closer to the paper. 

            "Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, I hear you had quite the adventure without us," Kagome said coming fully into the circle. 

            "Oh you know Shippou; he likes to exaggerate," Miroku said reaching his hand out for the paper. 

            Alas, before either of them could grasp the paper Kaede handed it to Kagome. Kagome held the paper up to the light, "Shi… Shin… ko…n. Shinkon," Kagome smiled successfully deciphering the smeared kanji on the outside fold. "Newlyweds?" she began as the meaning of the word sank in, "Who got married?" 

            Sango raised her hand weakly while Miroku spoke. "That's actually what we were hoping Kaede-sama would tell us didn't happen." 

            "We want to know if it's valid," Sango responded to the shocked and confused look on Kagome's face. 

            "Oh Kami-sama! I just knew you two would get married one day!" this snapped their heads up to look at her as she ran forward to hug them. Turning to leave she began, "Wait until I tell Inu…" she stopped in her tracks and turned looking at them, "You guys got married while we were gone?" she sounded dismayed. 

            "Well…if it makes you feel better we missed the ceremony, too," Miroku commented. 

            "What?" Kagome began. The realization hit her, "married against their will…" she whispered repeating what Shippou had mentioned earlier. "You guys got sucked into another curse?"

            "Well it tends to give us the motivation to break the curses," Sango replied trying to lighten the situation. 

            "I could have taken it with one blow!" Inu-yasha said cracking his knuckles. 

"Yeah well just be glad you weren't with us. Or you could have ended up married to Kagome or even Sango depending on how mean the spirits were being."

            "Eh?" Inu-yasha blanched. 

            "As I was saying before there was this curse…." Shippou explained. 

            An hour had passed, and Kaede had come to a decision on the validity of their marriage. "Based on this document, it seems to me that the ritual itself was valid enough. However, being that neither of you consented and assuming you have done nothing to consummate your marriage I do not see why you could not just part placing that which you have no memory of behind you. That is if both of you agree."

            "That's right," Kagome said, "It's not binding if you didn't give of yourselves freely."

            "Well, I have no problem returning to the way things were before we entered that village," Miroku said. "Sango?"

            "Huh?" she snapped out of her little reverie, "Oh yeah…right it doesn't mean anything to me either."

            "It's settled then?" Miroku half asked half stated as Sango nodded and excused herself from the room. 

            Sango held her composure as she left the shrine and began walking towards an open field. Walking past Inu-yasha and Shippou, she stopped when Inu-yasha called out, "Oi Sango! Congrats an' all."  

           Sango placed a fake smile on her face as she turned to them and shook her head saying, "We're not married." She continued on her way picking up the pace.

            "Oi," Inu-yasha said again noticing a tear trickle down her cheek as she disappeared beyond a hill, "What did I say?" 

            "Hm," Shippou began and the two _youkai_ headed back to the village shrine.

            Passing Kagome, Inu-yasha stopped. "Oi, Kagome. What's Sango's problem?"  

            "What do you mean?"

            "She headed off into a field crying," Shippou informed her. 

            "Her too?" Kagome commented.

            "Too?" Inu-yasha's ears twitched. 

            "The second she left the room Miroku-sama sat down in a corner and just began staring into the fire. I tried talking to him but apparently tracing his _kazaana_ with his left hand seemed more important than anything I had to say."

            "Hm…" Shippou said, "I've got an idea." Following his gesture the other two leaned down to listen. 

            In the bright sunlight Sango could easily be seen sitting on the side of a hill looking out over the village's rice fields. Kirara was curled up at her feet snoozing in the warm sunlight. From the rice paddies some of the women spotted her and began to wonder why she looked so sad. They had begun to wonder if one of them should approach the young _taiji_-_ya_, whose visits they had grown accustomed to, until they saw the strangely dressed _miko_ standing on the crest of the hill. 

            Kagome slowly descended down the hill and took a seat in the grass beside her only female companion in this era. "Sango-chan?"  Kagome said nothing else; she decided to give Sango support and patiently wait for Sango to be ready to talk.

            After a few minutes of silence Sango finally spoke, "Have you ever been so blind to how you feel that it took a complete stranger to make you realize your feelings?"

            "Sango?" Kagome said touching her friends shoulder. Sango finally turned to look at her hot tears streaming down her cheeks. 

            "I never realized just how much I care about that _sukebe_ until I found myself sitting in a tree crying because he doesn't feel the same."

            "That's not true. Miroku-sama cares about you as much as you care about him. Trust me. We outsiders can see it." 

            Sango gave a sideways glance at Kagome, _'You mean like how you and Inu-yasha feel about each other. Oh Kami-sama tell me I'm not that transparent,'_ she thought. "Then why doesn't he want to marry me?"

"What?" Kagome suddenly realized she had no idea what was going on inside Sango's mind. "Do you want to be married to Miroku?" 

            Sango sighed and looked out to the rice paddies again, "I didn't." 

            "Go on," Shippou said pushing at Inu-yasha's calves. "This won't work if you don't go talk some sense into him."

            "Feh," Inu-yasha replied, "That's not my style." Putting his foot down firmly just before he hit the shrine house veranda, Inu-yasha turned to glare at Shippou. Shippou realizing that this was all he could do—that and if he stayed longer he'd get pummeled—ran back to where Kaede had planted herself in an herb garden. It wasn't everyday that the lives of these young people got interesting in her hut. She liked to watch, and sometimes manipulate, but only from a distance.

            Inu-yasha paced for few seconds before finally entering the small hut. Miroku was sitting in the corner staring at the fire while mindlessly tracing a circle on his right hand, just as Kagome had described. Walking over to the fire, Inu-yasha took a seat just a few feet away from the _houshi_. He didn't say a word but instead joined Miroku at staring in silence at the fire. 

            Luckily for the plan's sake Miroku wanted to talk. No, he needed to talk to someone. And Inu-yasha seemed to be the most impartial of the group, or at least the one least likely to try and stick his nose into someone else's romantic life. 

            "Did you know that she had a vision of the future?" Inu-yasha didn't respond, in fact if you'd been in that room you wouldn't have thought he was even listening, but that didn't stop Miroku from continuing. "She saw our future. Married, a pair of sons, and no _kazaana_. She agreed to bear me sons that day. As soon as we broke this curse," he said balling his right hand into a fist and slamming it on the floor beside him, "and freed her brother from Naraku's grasp. And for a brief moment, I actually thought it could happen that way. Somehow we'd all manage to defeat him, you could get your revenge, Kagome-sama could purify the _shikon no tama_, Kohaku would be a normal boy again, and my curse would be broken. Then surrounded by family we'd get married and have that happy life she dreamed of. But… but now things are happening out of order." 

            Miroku stopped speaking for a few minutes. In the heat Inu-yasha's ears twitched and he waited for the _houshi_ to continue. "And now look at this mess I've gotten her into. I knew something was off the second we stepped into that village, if I hadn't been so involved in making her jealous I probably would have realized where the source of the _jaki_ was coming from before night fell. Shippou said we'd been fighting like a married couple and now we actually are a married couple…" Miroku shook his head, "No. No we're not. Kaede-sama said it didn't count unless we wanted it to, and… and…why should anyone want that?" he whispered to the ground. "It's better this way. Now she can get married to someone who doesn't make her cry, with all her family there and this time she'll get to remember it."

            Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes and cast a glance towards Miroku as he began to stare at his hand again, "It is. It's better this way," he said reassuring himself. Miroku said, "Then why do I feel so empty?" Looking up to where Inu-yasha was sitting—only he wasn't sitting next to the fire anymore, "Inu…" Miroku's words were cut off as Inu-yasha's fist came down on his head. 

            Returning to his seat by the fire Inu-yasha glanced at Miroku holding his head and then back to the fire and he said, "_Ba…ka_."

            Miroku looked up at Inu-yasha and then climbed to his feet. "You're right," he said and then headed out the open door. 

            After minutes of silence, Sango finally spoke again. "At first I hated him, I hated the way he treated me just like some conveniently close object to feel up. But as I watched him hitting on all the other girls, I began to wonder why he'd never hit on me like that. Shippou said he hit on you when you first met."

            "That's true… but…"

            "I mean he hit on a little girl!"

            "And she said 'Yes'"

            "Kagome, you're not helping."

            "Sango, didn't you confront him about this already?"

            "Yeah, and the _baka_ didn't even realize he hadn't asked me. But I began to wonder why I cared so much." Sango looked at her feet and blushed a little, "It was then that I realized that I liked the attention though inappropriately timed, and if he had asked me I would have agreed. Which I pretty much told him after my week in a cave thinking that I'd never see any of you again." Sango chuckled to herself, "I never thought that we would have gotten married before we broke his curse, and it makes complete sense to go about our lives as if we didn't. But I'll always know that we did, even though I can't actually remember the wedding," Sango frowned. 

            "_Sou ka_," Kagome smiled. "Don't worry Sango. Leave everything to me," she said getting to her feet. Squeezing Sango's shoulder she smiled and took off up the hill. 

            By the time Sango recognized that plan-making look in Kagome's eyes she was already out of sight. 

"I'd just let her go if I were you," a voice said from beside a tree. 

            Sango turned to see her would be husband nonchalantly leaning against the tree less than ten feet behind her.

            "How long have you been standing there?"

            "Long enough," Miroku said taking the seat beside her opposite of where Kagome sat. "You really can't let this go, can you?"

            "Can you?" Sango said turning to face him. "Tell me honestly, right here and now, that you can pretend that nothing happened and really want to go back to the way things were and I'll let it go."

            "Really?" Miroku said looking at her. "I'm completely capable of pretending and resuming our sad excuse of a relationship, but…" Miroku exhaled deeply and grasped Sango's hands in an-oh-so-familiar-fashion. "Sango, I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to marry me, especially someone who has actually spent time with me and knows my flaws. But I wouldn't give up that tingling sensation I get every time you put me in my place." 

            "Houshi-sama…" Sango said as she playfully slapped his arm. 

            "Ow…" Miroku joked. "Seriously though, you have always been more than simply geographically desirable…Sango, you're special to me and…and…I can't imagine my life without you. Truth be told, I was hoping to get rid of this," he said raising his right hand, "before we did this," he said placing his right hand on her cheek and wiping away her tear tracks, "but I guess life knows something we don't," and with that final statement he pulled her in and kissed her gently on her lips.

            As their lips parted Sango's cheeks began to flush. Resting his forehead on hers he opened his deep blue eyes to peer into her brown eyes, "So what do you say to doing this right, while we're both conscious and we have our family with us?" Miroku said shifting his eyes towards the crest of the hill on the word 'family.' Sango smiled and pulling his gaze back to her, she kissed him more passionately than before. This time when they parted she smiled bigger and nodded simply because she couldn't bring herself to speak. Miroku smiled taking her hands in his and began to stand pulling her to her feet as he said, "Good because I think Kagome's already begun planning our wedding."

**~**

            By the time Sango and Miroku had made it back up the hill, through the village and into the shrine Kagome had made three round trips to her 'country.' Stopping short at the foot of the shrine steps the couple stared on in disbelief as they watch Kagome haul an armload of white fabric into the shrine. Beside them Inu-yasha stood speechless as Kagome ran back down the stairs and past them. "This is going to be so perfect!" Kagome squealed in delight as she dashed into the woods one more time. At the sound of her giggles as she hopped into the well, Inu-yasha's eyebrow twitched. 

            "I hope you're happy," he said gruffly to the stupefied pair beside him before stomping up the stairs. 

            Miroku looked at Sango, eyes wide with disbelief and concern. As if thinking with the same brain they both turned toward the shrine and darted up the stairs in unison. Passing a grumpy Inu-yasha along the way the soon-to-be-remarried couple entered the shrine doors and froze at the sight before their eyes. Kaede was standing with her back to the far wall holding on to a cardboard box that had the words '_Yui-no_' scribbled on it in black marker. Around her a pile of clothes sat on either side shades of white, red, and gray shown through. At Kaede's feet was another box—smaller—labeled '_San-san-ku-do_ supplies.'  "Normally we hold these ceremonies in the home of the family, but Kagome insists that it be held here," Kaede said. Miroku and Sango turned toward one another and each shrugged with a look of understanding. It's not like there was a family home for either of them to celebrate at. When neither of them made a motion to move from their spots Kaede spoke again, "Come, take a box."

            "Oi, Kagome," Inu-yasha said putting his hands out as he stood on the steps blocking her path, "what in the world do you think you're doing?"

            "Giving two of my best friends the wedding they deserve," she said trying to side-step him. 

Inu-yasha moving into her path again continued, "They didn't ask for this."

            "Maybe not, but they'll appreciate a big event."

            Inu-yasha looked confused, "How big are we talking here?"

            "Big enough so that when they look back on their wedding years from now what they'll remember is this day when they were surrounded by their friends and family and all the festivities instead of the fact that they were forced into an early marriage by some cursed village who didn't know how to properly bury sacrificed animals," she said taking a step back the way she came from and dashing up past him as he stood frozen for a second trying to follow what she just said. 

            "Oi! Kagome!" he said turning to follow her inside. 

            Kagome smiled as she entered holding up pair of rather worn looking scrolls. "Okay, it's been a while since Jii-chan told me how one of these was done but I'm sure I can follow what's in these scrolls if I get lost," Kagome smiled corralling everyone to a small room off to the side of the actual shrine. Setting her scrolls on a table in the center of the room and gesturing for Kaede to place her box there too, Kagome separated Sango and Miroku so that they stood facing each other across the table. Then she turned to drag Inu-yasha in and stood him next to Miroku. Heading to the other side of the table she stood next to Sango and gestured for everyone to take a seat. Kaede waited patiently in the corner for Kagome to finish preparing the others. 

            "What exactly are we doing?" Miroku asked not wanting to sound ungrateful but still too stunned at the speed of Kagome's insanity to sit. 

            "We're having an old fashioned _yui-no_," Kagome said unrolling one of her scrolls as she knelt beside the table. The other three had yet to lower themselves. 

            "We're what?" Sango said lowering herself so that she could be on Kagome's level. Placing her hand on Kagome's shoulder to get her to look up from her reading all she could ask was, "Why?"

            Looking from Sango to Miroku who was still giving her an extremely odd look, Kagome stood almost in anger.               

            "Kagome-sama, we do not wish to upset you, but we really don't need all of this…formality," Miroku said looking to Sango for help. 

            "No, no, no. You've already made a big enough mess as it is," she said walking around the table to stand between them. "Most people don't get a second chance to marry their soulmate and you two just happen to be so lucky," she said taking their hands and joining them. "Now we're not going to just stand back and let you mess this up again!" Kagome said releasing their hands and heading back over to her place, nodding to Kaede. "Now, sit down," she said trying to regain their attention after her little outburst. 

            Sadly the couple whose hands were still joined across the table as their eyes were set upon each other's did not hear the last bit that Kagome said nor did they notice that she had returned to her place and asked them to sit down until they heard the thud beside them as Kagome's slip of the tongue brought another companion to the ground. 

            They all turned to look at Inu-yasha sitting grumpily on the floor beside the table. "Um… Inu-yasha… She used the sit command for people not for dogs what are you doing?" Miroku asked. 

            "I know that, _baka_. Do you see a giant hole in the ground where I'm sitting? I know that tone, I didn't want to ruin Kaede-baa-baa's table so unlike you rude humans I sat before Kagome gets upset," Inu-yasha said folding his arms and grumbling to himself, "Is there going to be food at this…_yomogi_?" 

            "_Yui-no_," Kagome corrected sitting down, "And yes."

            "_Ano_…Kagome?" Sango said sitting beside her friend. "Isn't a _yui-no_ a betrothal ceremony? I mean, technically we're already married so… why are we doing this, again?" 

            "Because Kagome-chan wants you to have better memories than the ones you've already made. So we're starting over. Actually… the _yui-no_ won't start until Shippou and Kirara get back, but we want to discuss some things with you two before he gets here," Kaede said joining them at the head of the table. 

            "He?" Miroku said picking up on Kaede's tone. 

            "We sent Shippou and Kirara out to gather any family that might be missing," Kagome said turning her attention back to her scrolls. 

            Miroku's eyes got wide, "You didn't," he said noting her lack of eye contact.

            "Didn't what?" Inu-yasha and Sango asked in unison.

            "And are they telling him that I'm getting married before they bring him back or are you just planning on dropping it on him when he gets here and there's nothing he can do about it?" Miroku began to ramble. 

            "I'm not really sure what all Shippou's going to have to tell him to get him to come," Kagome commented without looking up from her reading. 

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_Author's Dictionary:_

Sukebe: lecher. It's Sango's favorite word to describe Miroku…if you watch a subbed version listen for the phrase 'sukebe houshi' to pass her lips. 

Sou ka: 'Is that so...' 'I see...' or any number of phrases along those lines.

Ano: 'Um…' 'Excuse me…' or any number of things that a good verbal utterance takes the place of.

Yui-no: betrothal ceremony. As I said in the text. You'll get to see what goes on in one of these in the next chapter. 

San-san-ku-do: Part of the actual Shinto wedding ceremony. The part where the couple and their families share sake in ritual format. 

Yomogi: it's a green chocolate filled pastry thing. It's food; beyond that this author doesn't know what it's really made of. I just needed something for Inu-yasha to miscall the yui-no by and thought that since he's thinking about food, might as well call it some kind of food. And I wrote this shortly after my first trip with Queen to our local Mitsuwa where they sold green pastries called yomogi. 

Shinkon: for those who didn't catch it when Kagome translated it, it means Newlyweds. Shin=new and kon from the word Kekkon for marriage. ^_^. 

* I know there are other Japanese words in this chapter, but they're one's I assumed everyone knew…or I'm certain I defined in earlier chapters. 

_Author's Notes_: 

Can I grovel for forgiveness one more time? I have had this chapter written since…oh February. Initially I had intended for Chapter Six to be my wrap up chapter and there would be a wedding and bam story would be over. But then I began writing, and writing and talking to Queen about what would make this chapter funnier. And well I got to the point where the simple ending chapter was fifteen pages long and I still wasn't finished. AAAHHH… I knew that I'd have to divide it into two but still didn't want to post one half of the wedding chapter before I knew where the other half was going. Well… phooey on that idea. Now the one simple chapter has become three. And each one gets mushier than the last. Just a warning. 

A little note about ramblings. I realize thanks to my wonderful beta that Miroku's rambling more than he would and what not so I tried cutting a few lines out of his little monologue but I still think it's a bit rambly. Oh well he's venting.  

Haruko. I did have a reviewer state that they thought Haruko is a girl's name. And well let me say…I'm sure it is. BUT…in my fic it happens to be a boy's name. I got the name off of some online baby name page because I wanted to give my brand new car a name. And well according to this page Haruko means first-born son or child (don't remember which) and was a boy's name. So… I named my lovely little red car Haruko because he's my first car, and because it's like a pun on Haruka…the resident Sailor Moon speed demoness. To honor my car…I gave my new character his name. (for all people who come across a name in someone's fanfiction that seems like it should be the name of the opposite sex… let it go. There are a million gender neutral names in the world and a thousand more that aren't but people purposely use them for their children and characters anyway. –getting off of my soapbox now)

A thank you to my beta for catching my rice pattie mistake. I like onigiri so much that Sango was sitting on a hill looking at those instead of paddies full of water and rice. ^_^ oops. And THANK YOU to all of the reviewers out there. You've almost made this story top Sango's Ordeal in number of reviews. And a big thanks to all the patient readers who haven't given up on this story. I promise I haven't either…it's just that you wouldn't expect writing something as simple as a wedding ceremony between your two favorite characters to be so challenging. 

The next chapter is done. I just need to put my little notes on it. If I don't post it in two weeks, someone write me a long painstaking email about how my laziness is affecting the entire planet. And if that doesn't work…tell Queen to come and kick my butt.

And a little preview from Chapter Seven: The Yui-no

"So… you're really going to do it?" Myouga said coming to grips with reality.

            "I am." Miroku let out a sigh of content as he thought.

"But, on the bright side…" Myouga thought in a most conniving fashion, "if she's your wife then you can grope her all the time or at least whenever you want."

            "Oh…" Miroku smiled, "I doubt that."


End file.
